It's not my fault I got stuck in the Underground
by zeedmillenniummon
Summary: During a vacation. Tomoko finds herself falling into a cave after getting lost on a hike. While trying to get out, she instead finds herself on a adventure that seemed to come straight out of a anime or video game. Will the dysfunctional teen succeed in finding a way home?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! I'm Zeedmillenniummon, and this is my first story. I went back and forth on what I wanted my first fanfic to be, and I decided that this would be the easiest. I hope it is to your viewing pleasure. So please, enjoy.**

* * *

 **CH.1**

 **Because I'm not popular, I'll get lost and fall in a pit!**

It was a beautiful day outside.

Flowers where blooming, birds where singing.

On days like these, a kid, like the one where about to meet.

...Was actually kinda miserable.

It wasn't because of anything wrong with the day itself. It was partially because...

"AUGH, HOW DID I GET SO LOST!?" The kid shouted out loud to no one in particular (But still hoped that someone near by would hear her. But alas, nobody came).

Said kid, or young ADULT as she would be quick to correct you, is Tomoko Kuroki. Although 16 years of age, you would never have guessed it looking at her. With her diminutive height, thin and delicate build, flat chest, and childlike face, you could be justified for thinking she was 4 years younger. She had raven, messy and mildly oily medium-length hair. Pale skin, and tired green eyes with large bags underneath them. Her unkempt appearance wasn't due to being lost in the wilderness for a long period of time (She was lost for an hour at most) but simply due to poor daily hygiene on her part. She was wearing brown knee length shorts, black sneakers, and a yellow short sleeved hoodie with a blue undershirt. She was lost in a mountain forest, trying to find the trail she was walking on some time ago.

'how did I get so lost? I only wondered off the path for barely a minute and now I can't find it again!' Tomoko thought bitterly as she tried to find the mountain trail.

'Maybe if I climbed higher up? Then I would most definitely manage to spot the trail again! Its a brilliant plan!' Tomoko praised herself as she comes up with a plan to solve her current predicament.

How Tomoko found herself lost on a mountain miles from home is because she and her family are on vacation. They traveled to a inland city named Ebott. A city that has a rich history and mythology that surrounds it and the neighboring mountain, Mt. Ebott. If the legends are to be believed, hundreds of years ago humanity went to war with a race of strange yōkai. And Ebott, or more specifically Mt. Ebott, was the place where the race made their last stand. Tomoko's mother thought the city to be a nice place to spend a family vacation at with it's rich history, beautiful scenery, and fun festivals. Plus it could be a great way to get dad to spend more time with the family since he spends so much time working.

'Stupid vacation! They never once considered my say on this whole thing. I wanted to stay home and do things I wanted to do. not go to some place I never even heard of before.' Tomoko thought as she continued on in her journey to a higher part of the mountain in hopes of finding some sign of civilization from there.

'But noooo. Mom had to go on about how "It will help us spend more time together as a family!". What is she even talking about? We spend plenty of time together! Me, her and Tomoki see each other every day! And we see dad almost every night when he comes home from work. What more could you want?' She continued on to mentally voice her displeasure over this "vacation" as she climbed over a fallen tree.

'Although I have to admit, the story about this place is pretty cool! It would probably make for an awesome anime!' Tomoko thought as she decided to give credit where credit is due.

As for why she was hiking on the mountain in the first place. As said earlier, her getting lost was only _partially_ the reason why she was so irritable.

'And stupid brother! Being friends with people he didn't even know before coming here!' Tomoko continued with her mental rant as she trudged through the wilderness.

When the Kuroki family first arrived at Ebott, Tomoko decided to resign herself to the trip. 'If I have to go here, then I should at least try to enjoy it.' She thought as she helped with moving into the hotel everyone was staying at. After unpacking, she decided to go to her younger brother, Tomoki. "He's probably just as unhappy about this as I am. Maybe we could try suffering through this together." She told herself as she went up to him in a attempt to get him to try exploring the city with her. And after much pestering, persuading, and some encouragement from mom (she did wanted to go on this vacation to bring the family closer together after all), he reluctantly decided to go with Tomoko on her trip through Ebott. Sure, she could have done it by herself, but she had a feeling that mom would chew her out for leaving to go out on her lonesome on what was supposed to be a family trip. And besides, her younger brother may end up liking her more by the end of it. However, while walking around, they ran into someone that Tomoki knows somehow. Apparently they where a friend of his that moved away after they graduated middle school. It infuriated Tomoko to no end. That even out in a city they had never heard of before, she had to be reminded that Tomoki still has a better life, and more friends, then her! Luckily (for Tomoko), he was currently going somewhere else in a hurry, so their reunion was brief, and Tomoko didn't need to say anything more then a weak "H-h-hi..." to him before he went on his way. Tomoko thought it was the end of that, but _no_. The next day, Tomoko and her family went out to have fun in Ebott. After a while of exploring, they split up into two groups, and Tomoko and Tomoki where once again walking around Ebott together. That is until Tomoki's friend appeared again. And this time, he wasn't going anywhere AND he had friends of his own! He motioned them to come over, which Tomoki did while Tomoko stood back and watched. Tomoki took a liking to each of his friend's friends rather quickly, and finally manage to sit down and catch up with him. Tomoko meanwhile stood where she was. _S_ _eething_ in anger and jealousy as she watches them talk.

'How DARE he!' Tomoko thought as she watches on. 'Even all the way out here, he STILLS tries to show off just how much _better_ his life is compared to mine by not only showing that he has friends in a city _neither of us has ever heard of_ but ALSO by just walking up to, chatting to, and getting along with a bunch of strangers he has just met as if they where friends for _years!_ You think you're better then me? Well... I don't NEED you OR your stupid friends!' Tomoko finishes as she storms of by herself. which ultimately results in her walking to the start of the Mt. Ebott trail which was nearby.

And finally that leads up to where we are now. With Tomoko getting lost sometime after starting her rather angry walk across Mt. Ebott.

"GAH! Dammit!" Tomoko cursed as she cuts her leg against a bush of thorns. 'This is all his fault! If he hadn't ditched me for those losers I wouldn't be here!' She continued to complain as she finally made it to a rather high part of the mountain... Or so she thought.

"I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING BUT TREES!" Tomoko shouted as she looks on from the point of the mountain she climbed too.

And it was a accurate statement. As all that can be seen is a sea of trees. There wasn't even any sign of Ebott!

'Did I walked all the way to the opposite side of the mountain?' Tomoko questioned her self as she looked around.

'I ain't even that high on the mountain.' She realized as she turned around and looked up. Seeing quite a lot of mountain above her.

"Stupid vacation, Stupid brother, STUPID MOUNTAIN!" Tomoko shouted in frustration as she begins the long trek back to the other side of the mountain.

As Tomoko walks through the forest, her anger gradually subsides and gives way to another feeling.

Fear.

'Didn't I hear somewhere in town that this mountain has a reputation of people going up it and disappearing throughout the years?' Tomoko begins to worry.

'M-makes me wonder, am I... Going to disappear too?' She begins to ponder what sort of cause could be responsible for the disappearances.

'Maybe they where people that got lost wondering off the trail like I did?' A cold sweat begins to breakout on her face as she is too deep in thought to pay attention to where she is going.

'Maybe they just never found civilization again and eventually died due to the elements?' Tomoko looks up to see what time it is. she estimates it to be a few hours since she left Tomoki. Hopefully he and her parents aren't too worried right now.

'...O-or maybe there could be some truth to that legend. And there is a surviving monster that is still alive today. Hiding on this mountain, waiting for people to wonder deep into it so it can exact it's revenge on humans by catching them and-' She audibly gulps. '-EATING them!' She begins to quiver as the thought frightens her.

Suddenly she turns around quickly when she thought she heard a noise behind her. Seeing nothing but forest, Tomoko still remains on guard and continues on at a much faster pace.

'T-th-this is like a horror movie! I _know_ I heard something back there (and maybe seen something too? I think?). M-maybe its stalking me right now! Maybe it's-' "GAHHH!" Tomoko is interrupted from her thoughts thanks to a Fallen tree branch she tripped over.

Upon getting up, Tomoko sees she has fallen in front of a mysterious cave on the side of the mountain. The cave entrance was rather tall, standing at 12 ft and being almost twice as wide. The cave was well hidden, being completely surrounded by trees and boulders. Looking into it, one can see it goes only a short distance into the mountain. However, one can also see a beam of light coming from the ceiling deep inside at the end. Shining down on a part of the floor that is obscured by rocks and roots. Tomoko was quite captivated by the natural beauty of the cave. So much so, that she forgot that she may or may not be being stalked by a monster that may or may not exist.

"This is so cool! This is like the prologue to some anime or video game! Our heroine, after getting lost and stalked through the woods by a unknown assailant, finds a mysterious cave hidden deep within on the side of a mountain!" Tomoko said as she went inside to look around the cave. Only to remember the situation she's in.

Tomoko, being cautious, went back out to look at the forest around her, making sure their isn't a monster or something hiding between the trees.

'Heh. If this was really like a horror movie, the monster would be standing at the cave entrance right as I turned around to leave. And not only do I see no monster anywhere in sight, I can even see some of Ebott from here! I was worried over nothing!' Tomoko thought, now being relieved that there was nothing to worry about.

"Well, since I know which way to go to return to civilization, it wouldn't hurt to explore this cave a bit first." Tomoko said as she turned around to go back inside.

After going all the way to the back of the cave, Tomoko soon realized that the spot of ground that the light was shining on wasn't ground at all!

"A pit!" Tomoko exclaimed. Standing precariously close to the edge of it.

The pit was very wide. Almost as wide as the cave itself. It was surrounded by rocks and plant roots that obscured it from the entrance. The natural skylight overhead was shining light almost perfectly down the middle of the pit.

"It looks so deep! I can barely see the bottom of it even with the light sh-" Tomoko froze up mid-sentence when she heard a noise that sounded like a pebble being kicked behind her.

She can feel the presence of someone or something behind her. See it's shadow on the wall in front of her, hear it breathing ever so slightly.

' _OhGodohGodohGodohGod!_ I was wrong! something _was_ following me through the mountain and now it's _RIGHT BEHIND ME!_ I should of booked it to Ebott when I had the chance! Is it some sort of psycho? Is he going to kill me? Rape me? TORTURE me? O-or is it the monster? I-I don't want to be eaten!' Tomoko started to panic in her head. She was beyond terrified. She was crying, her legs where shaking and on the verge of buckling, and she was drenched in a cold sweat. What was she going to do? How was she going to get out of this alive? Could she get out of this alive?

She slowly turned her head to look at her would-be killer. When she sees it in the corner of her eye, she could only make out a few details. It was standing right at the entrance of the cave. Due to the light shining in, the figure looked almost entirely black. However, she can see that it had faintly glowing red eyes. She can also see that it was actually smaller then her, almost looking like a child. But those _eyes,_ those aren't the eyes of a child, or any human for that matter. Finally, in one quick motion, Tomoko turned around and sees that its...

Nothing...

'Did I imagined that? No. There was _definitely_ something there! I think I had enough of this cave AND this mountain! I should go back now before the _really_ horror movie-esque things happen.' Just as she began to walk away from the pit, her foot gets caught on a plant root.

She trips and falls to her side. Landing on one of the large rocks around the pit, only to slide off and into the abyss below!

'NononononoNO! I"M FALLING IN! I got to grab something!' Tomoko thought as she grabs onto a dead root dangling off the ledge of the pit.

She held on for dear life! Trying to pull herself out of the pit with all the strength she had. However, do too her rather anemic and nonathletic build, it was a slow and exhausting ordeal. And it was about to get worse.

'I-it's coming out...' To Tomoko's dread, the root was breaking away from the side of the pit. Until finally, it snaps.

Tomoko screamed as she fell. Looking up to see the rapidly receding ceiling. Feeling that the light coming form it will be the last light she'll ever see again. But before she blacks out due to fear, she sees one last peculiar thing on the edge of the pit. It was the figure she thought she saw at the entrance of the cave. It was looking down at her, peering into her with those _same red eyes._ However, she could also make out other details this time. Like what looks like a small, uncomfortably cheery smile, and pink blushing cheeks...

Then every thing went black.

* * *

 **Till next time.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello. I have nothing to say, other then hears chapter 2. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **CH.2**

 **Because I'm not popular, I'll get tormented by a flower!**

Darkness.

There was nothing but darkness surrounding her. Tomoko tried to look around to find anything that would standout, but she found nothing.

"W-where am I? Is this the bottom of the pit?" The awkward teen asked to no one.

 _"In a way."_ She jumped at the sudden childlike voice from nowhere.

'W-who said that!?' Tomoko rapidly begin to look around. Seeing if she can find it's source.

 _"You are... Less then I hoped for. But you'll do."_ The unknown voice said with mild disapproval.

'Less then you hoped for? Are you Implying I'm not good enough for you!?' Tomoko thought angrily. Already feeling insulted that someone thought so little of her.

 _"Yes."_ The voice seemed to reply to her thoughts. 'W-wh-what!?'.

 _"Yes, I AM implying you're less then desirable for my goals. But again, you'll do."_

'D-did it just, read my mind?' Tomoko thought as she begins to become concerned.

 _"Yes, I did."_ The voice further confirmed.

Now Tomoko's anger quickly disappeared and was replaced with fear. She was trapped in a void with a unseen entity that can _read her thoughts._ What did it want with her? What was it going to do to her?

 _"Now, Tomoko Kuroki. Lets get to the point of why I'm here. I would like to offer a deal with you."_ Tomoko turned around to the new direction the voice was coming form. And finally, she can see the face of the entity the voice came from.

It was the same entity she saw at the entrance of the cave! however it wasn't obscured by darkness this time (despite them being surrounded by a dark void) and she can actually make out their features. For one, it turns out they did look like a child. Though due to their androgynous appearance, she couldn't determine whether they where a boy or a girl. They had the same facial features she saw right before blacking out during the fall. Pink cheeks, cheery smile, _soul piercing red eyes._ Their skin was rather pale. Not as pale as her's, but pale nonetheless. They had brown bowl cut hair, a light green shirt with a yellow stripe going around their stomach and long sleeves that covered their hands, brown shorts, and brown loafers with white socks.

"U-um, what would that be?" Tomoko nervously asked the mystery child. Disregarding the fact they somehow know her name. This kid can read her mind after all.

It was rather fortunate that they where a child (Or at least _looked_ like a child). Because while Tomoko finds talking to most people her age or older to be painfully difficult, children younger then her where rather easy for her to start a conversation with. That being said, the... _Unnaturalness_ of the situation still made her quite nervous.

 _"Where trapped here Kuroki. Both of us."_ The being began to tell Tomoko. _"You heard the legend about this mountain. Long ago, there where two races on this world. Humans and Monsters. The two races engaged in a long war with each other. And this mountain was where the latter was ultimately defeated. They retreated into this mountain after their lost, and the humans of old sealed them in. That race is still alive and living here, deeper within the cave, standing between us and the exit."_ They continued to explain.

 _"You like video games and anime, right Kuroki? You_ always _wanted to live the lives of characters from them. Going on epic adventures, fighting fierce battles, right? well, hears your chance! a adventure all your own awaits you. Just follow your instincts as a gamer and do what comes naturally."_ They told Tomoko in a attempt to entice her to agreeing.

 _'Like killing everything that challenges you.'_ The being thought to them self.

 _"With my advice and that way of thinking, we'll both get our freedom."_ They said before stopping to let Tomoko take this all in.

'Epic adventures and fierce battles. just like a character from a anime or video game...' Tomoko stood there and thought about it. She had _always_ dreamed and fantasized of one day living a life like that. It is one of the _only_ desires she has that rivals her desire to be popular. Every night when she slept, every time in class or P.E when she daydreamed, she imagined what it was like to be like the heroes and protagonists she sees on TV and in games. But at the end of the day, she always reminded her self that such a thing is nothing but pure fantasy. That things like monsters, ghosts, demons, time travelers, espers, evil robots, etc. Where all just things exclusive to the world of stories, games, and TV shows. Yet hears a being (That is probably one of those things _itself._ ) that's suggesting that those thing are real. And that she can finally live out her fantasy of being a protagonist that encounters and battles such creatures regularly on a incredible journey through a unknown world! To say that Tomoko was already casting away her suspicions of this individual just so she can take on the offer of a lifetime would be a understatement.

'Besides, he DID say (It IS a he, isn't it?) that we're trapped here and the only way to the exit is to go through these "monsters".' Tomoko thinks as she begins to agree to this guy's deal. However, there is still one thing that is bothering her.

"wait. I-if what you say is true and you're trapped here, then why did I see you standing at the entrance of the cave? Couldn't you just walk out of here? T-that was you, right?" She questioned the being before her. Still having difficulty letting go of that one seemingly contradictory fact regarding his story.

For a moment, he just stood there silently. His expression did not change. Though his cheery smile did falter slightly. This worried Tomoko that her question may have upset him in some way.

' _Shit!_ Maybe asking that wasn't a good call. If he is some sort of supernatural being, it would probably be a _bad_ idea to make him angry.' She thought as she starts getting the feeling she should be worrying about her own safety.

 _"...Yes. That was me you seen. It was also me that was following you through the forest."_ After what seemed like forever, the being finally spoke.

 _"The reason why I can do that, yet can't actually leave this place, is because I can project myself some distance away from here, but can never stray too far. You see, I'm a spirit, Tomoko. Specifically, I'm the spirit of one of the people that climbed this mountain and died in this cave. The reason why the monsters, my self, and now you can't just simply walk out of the mountain is because there is a barrier. It was erected by 7 humans who were gifted in magic after humanity won the war in order to make sure the monsters never escape. But I assure you. There_ are _ways of crossing it. But I'll need your help to do it. And you'll need mine."_

Tomoko was still a bit suspicious, but at least she got a answer, as well as some more info about this place and something about the identity of the boy to boot!

 _"So what do you say? Lets help each other out! You'll get to go on the adventure you always wanted and escape this place, and I'll finally be free to "pass on"! A fair deal, no?"_ The being finally finished and now patiently awaited the teen's answer.

She had some doubts about "passing on" being the only thing this boy wanted out of the deal. But the thought of adventure, as well of getting out of this place, quickly drowned out those doubts. Beside, this guy can apparently read her mind, so trying to question what other motives he has while she was right in front of him was probably a bad idea.

"O-okay. Its a deal." Tomoko said. Still rather unsure about trusting this person.

"Good." Was the last thing she heard from him before he disappeared and every thing went white.

* * *

"GAAHHH!" Tomoko woke up screaming from the sudden light.

"Huh? Where am I?" She looked around in order to get a idea of where she is now.

As she looks around, she takes note of the fact that this place looks more like what she imagined the bottom of the pit to look like. The place was about as wide as the pit, and the walls and ground where made of stone and dirt. When she looks up, she can see the light from the hole in the ceiling shining down onto her. But the most peculiar thing about this place was what she was laying on.

"Flowers?"

Around and underneath her where golden flowers. However, their was something odd about them. They where rather springy.

'Did these seriously broke my fall?' Tomoko wondered as she looked up and realized just how far she had fallen.

'T-there's no way these could have broken my fall even with there springiness! The ledge of the pit is 200 ft up _at least!_ ' she mentally stated as she looked at the point she had fallen from.

'And before, was that a dream? Crap! I forgot to ask for that kids name... Still, cryptic promise of adventure from a mysterious figure in the form of a dream, that's as anime as it gets!' Thought Tomoko as she ponders the dream she had.

As she got up from the flower bed, she began to notice more details about them. For one, the flowers had a border of grass surrounding them. And fit nicely in the middle of the spot of light. However, she also notices another, smaller patch of flowers to the side of it, right at the edge of the light spot .

'Odd.' The teen concluded as she went on to look for a way out.

She looked around the area she was in to see if she can find a path out of this place and begin her journey. It was kinda hard, as outside the spot of light in the center, the pit was rather dark. However she did noticed one area of wall that was darker then the rest. Upon approaching it, she could see it was in fact a passage way.

'Finally a way out! Oh ho, I wonder what kind of awesome adventure awaits me! Will I get magical powers? Learn how to use a legendary enchanted sword? Get badass armor and gear? Recruit a ragtag group of awesome (And sexy!) party mates whole make me there leader as we brave the perils and monsters of this underground world?' The awkward teen began running through the possibilities in her head. Fantasizing about what the adventure ahead will be like.

'And what about the monsters themselves? What are they like? Giant firebreathing dragons? Huge oni with clubs the size of trees? Vicious... Hungry... Hellhounds...

Terrifying. Murderous. Specters...

Giant. Venomous. Spiders...

Nightmarish. Undead. Horrors...

Ravenous. Monstrous. Sea monsters...'

Tomoko's momentum began to slow down as she started to really comprehend the situation she may have gotten her self into.

'I-it will be aright. That kid said he'll help me. Didn't he?'

She started to have doubts about continuing on. Until she realized that the alternative would be to spend the rest of her life in this small room until she ether died of thirst, hunger, or most horribly, one of the monsters that are supposed to roam this underground world wonders in there. Where she will have nowhere to run or hide to.

While she was contemplating her options, she decided to study the passage she was in. It was rather long and linear. When she reached its end, it made a sharp turn to the left. It is here she sees the first sign of monster civilization. Carved into the stone around it was a doorway. Two pillars frame the sides of the doorway while the top of it had some sort of emblem. The emblem consisted of a circle with bird wings on each side of it. As well as three triangles underneath with the two on the side pointing up and the one in the middle pointing down.

'Cool emblem! In adventure games and rpg, even the smallest of details in the beginning may become important later on. So I should try and remember this.' Tomoko thought as she studied it.

The room inside the doorway was almost pitch black due to the darkness, save for a beam of light in the middle of it similar to the one in the room she's in right now. Though she could see something was in the middle of the spotlight of that room as well.

"This is it. When I walk through this doorway, my adventure will finally begin!" Tomoko said as she prepares herself for the journey that awaits.

"Aright. Here we go!" She says as she steps into the next room.

As she approaches the light in the center, she begins to get a good look of what it is in the middle of it. It was a single flower, similar to the ones in the room before. However it was rather... Odd. It was much bigger then the other golden flowers. Being almost 3 ft tall! It also had... A face?

And it seemed to be moving...

"Howdy!"

 _And can talk!_

"W-what!?" Tomoko exclaimed as she takes in the sight of a _talking flower._

'I-is this one of the monsters that are supposed to be living in this mountain? Doesn't look that dangerous. Maybe it's like a starter enemy?' She thinks as she studies the creature before her. Having no idea as to what she's supposed to do.

"I'm Flowey. Flowey the flower!" "Flowey" introduces himself to Tomoko in a almost sickeningly cheery voice.

' _Flowey!?_ Who the hell names a talking flower Flowey? I can think of at least 10 better names then that!' Tomoko mentally scoffs at Flowey's unoriginal name.

"Hmmm. You're new to the Underground, aren'tcha? Golly, you must be so confused." Flowey continued on.

'Seriously. This guy's voice alone just _pisses_ me off! Even Yuu would probably get sick of how cheery it sounds! And who even seriously uses "golly" anymore anyways?' Tomoko continues on with her mental rant on her dislike for the flower. As usual however, she doesn't dare speak a word of it.

"Someone ought to teach you how things work around here! I guess little old me will have to do."

'How things work?' Tomoko wondered what Flowey had in store for her.

Ready? Here we go!"

Suddenly. She heard a strange beeping sound, followed by a unnatural pulling sensation on her chest.

"Huh? What!?" She exclaims form the sudden bizarre feeling only to look down and see something that startled her.

'A heart?' Floating in front of her chest was a small glowing grayish colored heart.

"See that heart? That is your soul, the very culmination of your being!" Flowey explained to Tomoko. However, she was too busy going through all the possible things it could mean, failing to pay attention to the rest of Flowey's explanation.

'My soul? I get it! He's going to infuse it with mystical powers so I can be a magic warrior! He's probably going to be my first party member and support me with earth and healing magic while we make our way through this place. Or maybe he's a messenger that will turn me into a magical girl so we can rescue other kids that are trapped here by the evil monsters. Or maybe-' "Hay! Are you even listening to me?" Tomoko was snapped out of her thoughts by Flowey shouting to her. staring at her with a slightly annoyed look on his face.

"...S-s-sorry..." The awkward teen timidly apologized to Flowey as she went back to paying attention to him.

"Now as I was saying. Your soul starts off weak, but can grow strong if you gain a lot of LV." Flowey went back to explaining.

'LV? Oh! He means level! This world really is like a video game!' The teen thought assuredly.

"What's LV stands for? Why-"

"I-I know! I-it stands for level!" Tomoko interjected her guess. Confident it was the right answer.

"Eh, no. It stands for LOVE." Flowey corrected.

"...Oh..." Tomoko said. Slouching in defeat.

"It's alright. You want some LOVE, don't you? don't worry, I'll share some with you!" Flowey said as he gave her a wink with a silly face.

 _'LOVE?_ Sharing it with people? What is this, a kids show? That weird kid didn't say anything about this! He made it sound serious and awesome. Not like some stupid Dora the explorer shit! _My awesome adventure is not going to be some f #king kiddie show!_ ' Tomoko thought angrily. Again failing to pay attention to Flowey.

Suddenly she was interrupted from her thoughts again. Though this time it was because strange white pellet-like objects went flying in her direction. Tomoko jumped to the side, dodging the projectiles at the last second. After recovering, she looked to Flowey only to see a very annoyed look on his face with a strained smile.

"Hey buddy, you missed them." Flowey said with mild strain in his voice.

"...What? I-I was... Su-supposed to g-get hit by them?" Tomoko said timidly.

"What? GAH! Where you NOT paying attention _AGAIN!?_ " The flower said with a surprising amount of anger in his voice. Which made Tomoko flinch and recoil back.

"U-u-u-ummm..." Was the awkward teen's only response. Flowey was beginning to think he should just skip straight to the point with her.

After a long, deep, loud sigh. Flowey repeated his explanation again.

"Okay. Down here, LOVE is shared through, Do you hear me?" Tomoko nods her head yes. "Little white... "Friendliness Pellets". Understand?" Tomoko once again nods her head yes. The cheeriness in Flowey's voice is mostly gone, and is replaced with a tone that one would use to explain things to a scatterbrained and idiotic child. Which is honestly kind of the case here.

"Lets try again, okay? Collect as meny as you can!" Flowey's voice returns to it's usual cheeriness as more "Friendliness Pellets" appear over his head.

'Wait, how do I collect them? Do I just catch them with my hands? Do I try to angle my "soul" so that they hit it? Should I be letting those things hit something as important as my soul?' While contemplating the wisdom of letting "friendliness pellets" hit her soul, that line of thinking led to a more disturbing question.

'What if this is a trap?'

A chill ran down Tomoko's back as she began to connect the dots. 'Now that I think about it, why would a monster be so friendly to a human when it was humans that sealed them down here in the first place? Also, what kind of monster, even a flower monster, would go around with a name like "Flowey"? And this whole thing about "LOVE" and needing to fill it up with "Friendliness pellets" sounds a lot like bullshit if you ask me.' The gears began turning in her head as the "friendliness pellets" approach her.

'But if I dodge them again, what do I do from there? He'll know that I'm on to him and drop the act! He could just straight up _kill_ me!' Tomoko began to step back from the approaching projectiles.

'But what if this really _is_ how things work here and he just leaves me after that! What if I actually need him to survive this place!' The awkward teen began to panic as she contemplated what she should do.

It was when she was looking for an escape route that she noticed something. Surrounding both her and Flowey was what appeared to be a box. Or more specifically, a box-shaped frame. It was white and was almost as big as the room they where in. It was most definitely not there when she first walked into the room. Did Flowey summoned it without her noticing?

It was when the "friendliness pellets" where about to hit her that she made her choice out of instinct and ducked, having the pellets fly over her head. Disappearing from sight. Flowey was not pleased to say the least.

"Is this a joke? Are you _braindead? RUN. INTO. THE. BULLETS!_ Er... "Friendliness pellets"." Flowey said with sudden and surprising amount of hostility that made Tomoko flinch and cower at his words.

However it was that slip up at the end that set off a red flag in the teen's head.

'Oh God! he _is_ trying to trick me! What am going to do? I don't want to die to a _flower!_ ' She started to sweat and panic as she looked frantically for a way to escape.

Flowey launched another barrage of projectiles at Tomoko, going noticeably faster then the last waves. Though the awkward teen had a easier time dodging them since she no longer had any hesitation about avoiding them. Again they flew right past her and disappeared into the darkness. For a moment, Tomoko and Flowey just stood there. She really didn't have much of a choice, seeing as there was no obvious escape routes. Suddenly, Flowey's face _morphed_ into a terrifying demonic grin, or snarl, she couldn't really tell. The sudden change made her blood run cold and her knees become weak. _'Oh no...'._

 _ **"You know what's going on here, don't you?"**_ Flowey said in a cold, distorted voice that terrified her to her very core.

'Oh _God!_ Oh no! Oh shitshitshitSHITSHIT!' Tomoko fallen on her rear and began to back away as fast as she can. That is until her back collided with... Nothing?

'what the!?' Tomoko looked back to see what looked like a transparent barrier that occupied the empty space between the frame of the box that surrounded them. It seemed like it was only visible when you touch it.

' SHIT! I _am_ trapped here! How do I get out? Do I need to defeat him? Kill him?' Tomoko desperately tried to think of a way out of this situation as she moved away from the barrier and faced Flowey again.

 _ **"You just wanted to see me suffer."**_ He accused Tomoko. She meanwhile was on her knees. Already crying as she faced him in sheer terror.

"N-n-n-n-n-NO! Is-i-i-is nu-nuph l-l-li-like da-a-at a-a-at all! I-i-i-ish, i-i-i-it's!" She stumbles over her words as she desperately tries to appease him. Already choking on her tears.

Suddenly a ring of bullets comes into existence around Tomoko. The box frame shrinking so as to only surround her, with Flowey looking on from outside.

"P-PLEASE! D-D-DO-DON'T K-KILL M-MME! I'll d-do wh-what-e-ev-er yo-you want!" She started begging frantically in a desperate attempt to live.

 _ **"Die."**_ The psychotic flower said in a deathly cold voice as the ring began to shrink around her.

'No, _NO!_ PLEASE DON"T KILL ME! I don't want to die! Help! _SOMEONE HELP ME!_ Anyone! Please _HELP!_ ' Tomoko screamed inwardly. While outwardly she just screamed madly and incoherently. Her fingers digging into her tear-stained face as her eyes looking off in different directions. Flowey watched on, Laughing the most horrifying and demonic laugh she had ever heard.

But suddenly, as the bullets where about to make contact, they all burst into flames and are reduced to ash. It took a short while for Tomoko to notice, as she was to busy screaming in terror, but she gradually calmed down as she sees that the bullets are gone. She looks up at Flowey for an answer for why she is still alive, only to see that he seemed to be just as confused about this as she is. A fireball appears besides him without warning. He looks at it in confusion before it blasts him. Knocking him out of the ground, roots and all. And sends him flying into the darkness of the other side of the room. Finally, Tomoko's soul returns to her body and the white box frame disappears.

"...Wha?" Was all the teen could say on the situation before her savior finally showed them self.

"What a terrible creature. Torturing such a poor, innocent youth..." The being said with a soft, motherly voice as they showed them self.

Tomoko's relief quickly disappeared as she sees that her savior was also a monster. She was female judging by the appearance and voice, and looked like a anthropomorphic goat. A huge one at that! Towering over Tomoko at 6 or 7 ft tall. She was garbed in a purple robe with the same emblem on her chest that Tomoko saw over the doorway. She was barefoot with paw-like feet and hands, had white fur, small fangs visible in her mouth, small horns, and long ears. Tomoko was quite intimidated by this beings height alone. And after her encounter with Flowey, she wasn't too keen on trusting this monster even if she did save her life.

'She could just want me for herself!' The awkward teen reasoned as she prepared to get away the moment the monster made a move.

Upon seeing Tomoko getting up and backing away, the monster tried to ease her suspicions.

"Ah, do not be afraid, my child. I am Toriel, caretaker of the ruins." The monster, now known as Toriel, said in order to reassure her.

"I pass through this place every day to see if anyone has fallen down. You are the first human to-... Um." Toriel stopped mid-sentence after taking a whiff of the air, then looking down to where Tomoko was on the ground a moment before.

Tomoko look at the spot as well to see what it was that caught her attention. And on the ground where she sitting earlier was...

A puddle.

A _yellow_ puddle.

A yellow puddle with a trail that leads to her shoes.

And to conform her worst suspicions, she looked down to see a wet spot on the crotch of her pants.

To say that Tomoko was mortified about the fact that Flowey's attack scared her so bad that she wet herself would be a _grave_ understatement. And now she had a witness!

"O-oh my! I didn't think that monster scared you that badly. Don't worry, I believe I have something to help you." Toriel said with a notable amount of concern in her voice as she begins to fish around in the pockets of her robe.

'Don't. _Patronize_ me!' Tomoko thought as she became red in the face. Tears forming in her eyes again with a pained smile on her face.

"Here. It's not much, but it should help clean you up." Toriel said as she offered a small hand towel to Tomoko.

The teen was hesitant to take the towel for several reasons. Partly because she is suspicious of Toriel and partly because her pride refuses her to take the pity and sympathy of others. But after a while of thinking, she finally relented and cautiously approach Toriel, takes the towel from her hand, and dash back into the room she came from for some privacy...

* * *

As she was cleaning herself off, Tomoko began to think about the series of events that has transpired since she got here.

'...My adventure barely started and already I nearly got murdered by a flower, pissed myself, and was saved by a giant goat person. I have _thousands_ of hours of rpg experience! I should already be cleaning the grass stains of that asshole off my clothes by now! But instead, the only stains I'm cleaning are my own. Please, _please_ don't let this be a premonition of things to come. My adventure should be great, no, _glorious!_ Not... This.' The teen thought as she began to remove her pants to try and clean them.

'Wait! Maybe it was like a _hopeless_ boss fight! I wasn't supposed to win. I start off weak and helpless now, but after I leveled up a lot and get all the really badass weapons and gear, I'll get a rematch with him! You better watch out _Flowey!_ Because once I finally get properly acquainted with this world and how it works, I'll pluck you like the weed you are!' Thought Tomoko as her spirits and hopes for this adventure began to lift again.

'And that goat girl, Toriel was it? Whats her story? Is she trying to to trick me too? Hmm. maybe she could actually be my _real_ first party member? Yes! That must be it. Not only can she use fire magic, she even looks like a magic user! I bet she even knows some healing spells as well. Yes. She will be a great supporting character on my journey. That is... assuming she isn't trying to trick me like Flowey did. Well, looks like it's Really time for my adventure to begin!' Tomoko concluded as she finishes cleaning herself the best she can...

* * *

Tomoko finally walked back into the room with the towel that Toriel gave her, looking much more chipper then when she left to clean herself. Sure, she still had a stain on her pants, and she reeked of urine, but she looked like she was doing better then she did earlier.

"Are you doing better now child?" Toriel asked the teen as she walked back to her.

"Um. Eh. Y-ye-a..." She responds timidly. Still rather embarrassed over the accident.

'I shouldn't trust her completely yet. I'll just play along until I figure out her _real_ intentions.' Tomoko tells herself as she approaches Toriel cautiously.

"If you don't mind me asking, what is your name?" The goat lady kindly asked.

"Um. T-Tomo-ko.. Kur-Kuroki." Tomoko replied.

"Tomoko? What a lovely name. If you please, let me guide you through the catacombs." Toriel offered her hand to Tomoko. And after a bit of hesitation, she shakily grabbed it.

Toriel then gently led Tomoko to a doorway on the other side of the room. It was identical to the doorway that the teen entered the room through save for the fact it was lavender in color.

The room beyond the door was very different form the rooms Tomoko had been in before. Almost the whole room was made from lavender colored bricks. with a lighter lavender path leading to a square in the middle that was framed by red leaves. A large pile of red leave lay in front of it with two white staircases on ether side of it. The staircases lead up to a elevated area that had a simple doorway carved into the lavender stone that was framed by vines with normal green leaves on them. Above the doorway was a stone manuscript who's text was indecipherable. While on ether side, two stone windows where carved into the wall. What was most odd about the room was the fact that it was well lit despite there being no obvious place for the light to come from, as if it where the stone itself that was giving off light.

'This is so cool! now where getting somewhere. but still, there's something I would like to know...' Tomoko thought as she looked up to Toriel.

"U-um. Wh-where are you t-taking me?" she asked her guide shyly.

Toriel looked down kindly to Tomoko.

"Well first, I am going to show you the ruins and how things work down here. Then I will take you to my home so you can get properly cleaned."

"Oh. O-okay..." The awkward teen replied back.

Tomoko was rather nervous of the prospect of being taken to Toriel's home, still unsure if she has something nefarious planed for her. But she continued on, wanting to finally start her adventure.

'This is it. My awesome fantastical adventure is really happening! I can't wait to see what thrills, challenges and wonders are in store for me. I can do this! This is where it begins!' Tomoko thought. Filled with determination...

* * *

 **Seeing the awkward little dork press on despite her fears and suspicions, it fills you with DETERMINATION.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello. Sorry for the delay. Had a bit of writer's block about future chapters. Which in all honesty shouldn't have delayed this chapter as bad as it did, considering I pretty much already had this one almost completely planned out. So actually I don't have a good justification for why this chapter took so long other then I was to distract with the future to focus on the present. Unfortunately I can't promise better update schedule for precisely that reason. But don't worry. The next chapter will come. Eventually... With that out of the way. Please, enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 **CH.3**

 **Because I'm not popular, I'll get treated like a toddler!**

Due to the better lit conditions of the room they where in, Toriel began to get a better look of Tomoko.

'Goodness! Between her thin complexion, dirty hair, and large eye bags, she looks like she has not ate, bathed or slept well for days! The poor thing. How long was she lost in the wilderness before falling down here?' Toriel observed with concern.

'Well, when we get home. I should make it a priority to give her a filling meal, a soft bed, and a warm bath.'

*Sniff*.

'...Especially a bath...' She concluded. Still bothered by the smell of urine stinging her nose.

After climbing the stairs and entering the next room, Toriel turned to Tomoko and began to talk.

"Welcome to your new home, Tomoko." _'New home!?'_ "Allow me to educate you in the operation of the RUINS."

'What does she mean by that!? Does she think I'm going to stay here or something? Or is she going to _make_ me stay here? Actually, now that I think about it, it _would_ be pretty cool living here. Fighting monsters everyday, being a keeper of the peace and all that. Being the one to teach new humans that fallen down here how to fight and survive-' "Tomoko?"

Tomoko was broken from her thoughts by Toriel calling her name. She looked up to see that Toriel was on the other side of the room. It was also here that the awkward teen began to actually study the room she was in.

The room was smaller then the last one. The walls and floor was still made of lavender bricks and stone. A lighter lavender path goes through the room form the door she entered through to a door on the other side, a door she was pretty sure was closed when she entered. on the right side of the room was what looked like six buttons on the floor, four of which were pressed down. on the right side of the door, and right behind Toriel, was a golden lever that was pulled down. on the left side of the door was another stone manuscript.

"Y-yes?" The teen finally responded.

"You were paying attention, right?" Toriel asked the oblivious teen.

"U-um..." was her only response.

Toriel simply smiled and made a small giggle. "It is alright. I will explain again. The RUINS are full of puzzles. Ancient fusions between diversions and doorkeys. One must solve them to move from room to room. Please adjust yourself to the sight of them."

'Puzzles? Yes! This is getting more and more rpg-like by the second!' Tomoko thought with excitement.

"I would give you a example, but I have already solved the puzzle in this room. But don't worry, there are more to come! now follow me." Toriel said as she walked into the next room.

Before Tomoko followed her, she stopped to read the manuscript on the wall.

 _[Only the fearless may proceed. Brave ones, foolish ones. Both walk not the middle road.]_

'Cryptic. I wonder what it means?' Tomoko thought before she walked into the next room, still contemplating the meaning of the manuscript.

When she walked into the next room, she sees Toriel waiting right outside the the door with a sign besides her.

"To make progress here, you will need to trigger several switches." 'Yes! My first puzzle!' "Do not worry, I have labelled the ones that you need to flip." Toriel explained to Tomoko before walking off to the right, presumably to wait for the teen to solve the puzzle.

 _'Labelled!?_ What, does she think I can't handle it or something? I'll show her!' The teen thought, feeling slightly insulted that Toriel didn't have confidence in her abilities.

Upon looking at the room, Tomoko sees that it stretches out to the right with the light lavender path going in that direction. Two streams of water cut through the room and the path with only simple wooden bridges placed along them which Toriel used to cross earlier. The walls had green vines climbing up their lavender bricks throughout the room. Across the stream, she can see the switches along the wall as well as Toriel waiting on the other side of the stream.

Tomoko's first action was to walk up to and read the sign that was beside Toriel.

[This is how you read signs!]

'...Is this some kind of joke?' Tomoko thought, being rather confused by the sign.

She then noticed another manuscript on the wall behind the sign. The teen then walked up to investigate it.

 _[Stay on the path.]_

'...But I had to walk off the path to read this...' The teen then decided to get back to solving the puzzle. Getting annoyed at the pointless signs.

After crossing the stream, Tomoko walked over to the first switch on the wall. And like Toriel said, it had a label painted on the wall besides it to signify it as such. It even had a message.

[Please press this switch. -Toriel]

'Does she think I'm an idiot or something? a little kid could have figured this out!' Tomoko thought with mild irritation as she flipped the switch.

Toriel smiled with approval at Tomoko before she crossed the second stream and made her way to the end of the room. With Tomoko following after. It was here that the teen noticed that the path out of the room was blocked by moving spikes. On the wall to the side, there was two switches. Only one of them was labelled though.

[Please press this switch too. -Toriel]

Seeing that the writing said pretty much the same thing as the last one, she flipped the switch. And like that, the spikes blocking the door went into the floor.

"Splendid! I am proud of you, Tomoko. Let us move on to the next room." Toriel congratulated Tomoko as she motioned the teen to follow her into the next room.

Tomoko however, was feeling her mild irritation transform into full anger.

'How old does she think I am, 3!? That wasn't even a puzzle! Even a dumbass child could have solved that.' Tomoko thought bitterly at the thought of Toriel treating her like a toddler.

'This other switch doesn't even work! She didn't even need to label _anything at all._ ' The teen observed as she noticed the other switch was rusted solid.

Tomoko nonetheless walked into the next room where Toriel was waiting.

"As a human living in the UNDERGROUND, monsters may attack you. You will need to be prepared for this situation." Toriel began to explain.

'Yes! I'll finally learn how to fight!' The teen thought in excitement.

"However, worry not! The process is simple. When you encounter a monster, you will enter a FIGHT. While you are in a FIGHT, strike up a friendly conversation."

'...What?'

"Stall for time. I will come to resolve the conflict. Practice talking to the dummy." Toriel finished her explanation of the "fight mechanics" of this place before moving to near the exit of this room.

This room was similar to the one a room back. The only difference was that it didn't have a puzzle in it and the exit was to the left. In place of a puzzle, there was a dummy of some sorts to the back of the room.

'A _conversation?_ Does she think I can't fight or something? Just give me a weapon and I can totally resolve a conflict myself!' Tomoko thought in frustration.

She nonetheless walked up to the dummy and decided to do what Toriel asked of her, feeling it wouldn't be a good idea going against her wishes... For now. Once the teen approached it, she herd the same beeping noise plus the pulling sensation on her chest from her meeting with Flowey. She also noticed the box frame appearing into existance this time, surrounding her and the dummy. She looked down to see her gray heart shaped soul floating in front of her chest.

"GAHH!" Tomoko screamed, startled by the return of the strange phenomenon.

'Does this happens _every time_ I fight a monster down here? Even if its just a _dummy?_ ' The perturbed teen thought as she looked at the box frame around her.

 **[You encountered the Dummy]**

'W-what was that!?' Tomoko jumped at the strange message that appeared in her head.

 **[DUMMY - ATK 0 DEF 0 *A cotton heart and a button eye. You are the apple of my eye.]**

'...wha?' The awkward teen stared at the dummy blankly. Utterly confused by the message.

'this is _really_ weird! Is this seriously how things work around here? Okay, just do what Toriel said and start a conversation... How am I supposed to do that!? I can barely talk to the kids at my school! how am I supposed to talk to a monster? No, how am I supposed to talk to a _dummy!?_ ' The awkward teen began to think about what topics a monster would like to talk about.

'does it work like talking to people? "Hello! would you like to have a conversation!" No... That wouldn't work. Maybe "Hey! those are nice... Stitches? You have there..." NO! That's dumb too! Gahhh, this is so stupid! Why am I sweating so much, it's just a dummy!' Tomoko continued to think up a topic that a monster, or at least a dummy, would like to talk about.

 **[Dummy tires of your soiled smell and meaningless internal conflicts.]**

Tomoko was startled from her thought as another message appeared in her head. She then looks to the dummy only to notice that it's... Floating up?

The dummy was levitating upwards! Making a noise that sounded like a musical instrument. It continued to go up as it hit the ceiling, passing through it like a ghost.

"...Wha?" Was the teen's only response as she watches the dummy disappear into the ceiling. So thoroughly confused that she couldn't even think of a proper response to that.

 **[YOU WON! You earned 0 EXP and 0 gold.]**

She didn't even acknowledge the mental message this time as her soul returned to her chest and the box frame disappears, she looks to Toriel for a answer to what just happened only to see that she looks just as confused as she is. They both just stand there for a while, not exactly sure of what to do. Finally, Toriel speaks up.

"...The next room awaits." She said quickly. As if she would like to leave soon and forget this ever happened. Something Tomoko honestly would like to do herself.

"...This place is weird..." The teen said flatly to herself as she followed Toriel into the next room.

After stepping into the next room, Tomoko notes that it stretches out to the right with a zigzag path going in that direction. Toriel stood on the path in front of her.

"There is another puzzle in this room... I wonder if you can solve it?" She explained before motioning the teen to walk down the path with her.

'Yes! This is my chance! I'll show her that I don't need hand holding. Once we get to the puzzle, I'll use my incredible observation skills to find the solution and complete it before she even finishes her explanation on how to do it!' Tomoko thought as she followed Toriel down the path, which led to a narrow hallway at the end of the room.

'She'll be so impressed by my natural intellect and skills that she'll stop seeing me as a defenseless little kid and start seeing me as a strong and independent woman with a potential for leadership. She will then become my first party member and-' Tomoko was broken from her train of thought by a strange white creature jumping in front of her, followed by her soul coming out of her chest along with the return of the box frame.

'A-a fight!?' Tomoko thought, now starting to get familiar with this strange battle mechanic.

 **[Froggit attacks you!]**

'It's that strange message again.' She was starting to get used to the messages in her head as well...

Upon studying the creature in front of her, she sees that it appears to be a giant frog-like monster with bleach white skin. On it's stomach it has what appears to be a smaller, black face that seems to be looking around.

 **[Froggit - ATK 4 DEF 5 *Life is difficult for this enemy.]**

'ATK? DEF? Oh! It means attack and defense. It's stats!' Thought Tomoko as she began to realize the purpose of the mind messages.

'What am I supposed to do? Fight it? But I don't have a weapon. I guess I should do what Toriel told me to do, for now.' The awkward teen then began to try and think of something to say.

"Eh. Erm, uhh. H-h-hi... I-it's a n-nice da-day outs-side, isn't i-it?" Tomoko awkwardly said to the Froggit.

' _It's a nice day outside!?_ Of all the cliche, stupid things you could say to a _frog_ that lives _underground!_ ' She then began to berate herself for the dumb statement.

"Rib-mmmhhhh." The Froggit cried out, it's face scrunching up in disgust.

 **[Froggit is too distracted by your smell to respond properly]**

' _My smell!?_ ' Tomoko was rather offended by the message until she sniffed her self, and remembered that she... peed herself not to long ago. And just her luck, it _had_ to be the kind that _smelled._

'...I really hope we can get to Toriel's house soon.' The awkward teen wished. Desperately wanting to clean herself up as soon as possible.

The Froggit then looked up, and recoiled a bit at something behind Tomoko. The teen looked behind her only to see Toriel looking down with a glare. At first, Tomoko recoiled as well until she noticed that the glare was actually aimed at the froggit. It then began to slowly slink away from the pair and out of the box.

 **[YOU WON! You earned 0 EXP and 0 gold.]**

The message said as the box disappeared and her soul returned to her body.

"I'm sorry for the distraction. Now come along, the puzzle is this way." Toriel said as she continued walking down the narrow hall.

As Tomoko followed, she noticed another manuscript on the wall. She stopped to read it

 _[The western room is the eastern room's blueprint.]_

'What does this mean? Is it a hint for the next puzzle?' she thought as she continued to Follow Toriel.

At the end of the hallway was another room. The floor of the room was completely flooded with water that looked rather deep. However what really stood out was a platform that floated in the middle of the room and was covered in spikes. A wooden bridge connected the platform to the hallway. Toriel then turned to Tomoko and began to speak.

"This is the puzzle, but-"

She couldn't finish her sentence before Tomoko moved past her, determined to solve the puzzle on her own.

'Okay! This is it. Time to show her how competent I am! so... How do I get past this?' Tomoko thought as she starred down the puzzle.

'Do I jump it? No... _Nobody_ could make a jump that far. Do I swim around it? No. They probably thought of that... Wait, the manuscript! It said that the western room was the eastern room's blueprint! It must mean the room we just passed through. But how does that room tell me how to get past this?' The teen then began to try to think about the details in the other room.

'Maybe the zigzag path? That must be it! Somehow. Just... Walk along the spikes... And I get to the other side. Right? But what if that's not the answer? And I get... Impaled.' Tomoko's knees began to become weak as she stood before the spike trap.

'And even if that's the answer, how do I cross them? Do they go into the ground like the ones in the room before? Are they just a illusion?' She then began shivering as she tried to will herself to cross them.

'And what if I remembered the path incorrectly? I-i could die! No! I can't think like that. I c-can do this. I can p-prove to Toriel that I can-' Her thoughts where interrupted by a furry hand touching her shoulder.

"Here, take my hand for a moment." Toriel said as she stepped up beside Tomoko.

The awkward teen was hesitant for a moment, but eventually took Toriel's hand. They walked to the spikes and sure enough, they did sank into the ground. The two slowly walked in zigzag pattern across the platform that mirrored the path from the room before. Tomoko was at least somewhat glad that she guessed correctly, however it didn't change the fact that the original reason for wanting to do it by herself was to show Toriel that she didn't need someone to hold her hand throughout her trip through the Ruins. Which was exactly what was going on right now. Eventually they made it to the other side of the room. Toriel finally let go of Tomoko's hand and turned to her.

"Puzzles seem a little too dangerous for now. It is probably for the best for us to wait for a safer puzzle for you to do by yourself."

"Y-ye-a. It's pro-probab-bly for the b-best..." The awkward teen agreed shyly as she averted eye contact out of embarrassment.

Toriel then led Tomoko into the next room. But not before the teen looked behind her at the puzzle they just passed.

'...I couldn't do it...' She then followed Toriel into the next room. hanging her head in defeat.

The next room was a straight, incredibly long hallway. After Tomoko entered, Toriel turned to her and began explaining her next challenge.

"You have done excellently thus far, Tomoko. However... I have a difficult request to ask of you."

'Difficult? Is she _finally_ going to teach me something useful here?' Tomoko thought as she hoped that she would finally get a real chance to prove herself.

"I would like you to walk to the end of the room by yourself. Forgive me for this." Toriel finished before dashing to the other end of the room. However, Tomoko was too caught up in her thoughts to notice.

'... Walk to the other end of the room. By myself... What's so difficult about that? Does she honestly believe me to be so pathetic that I couldn't walk down a long straight path without crying for my mom!?' Tomoko thought angrily. it was then that she noticed that Toriel was gone.

'Well, whatever. Might as well do it.' And with that, the teen began walking down the long corridor.

While walking, Tomoko began to think. 'Why is she babying me? Why is she being so nice to me at all. Wasn't it humans that sealed monsters underground? Why would she be so kind to the species that put her here to began with? Maybe this is a trap! That flower from earlier tried to trick me. Perhaps Toriel is trying to do the same? But this seems like a lot of effort just to trick one kid. She could of just made me walk down that spiked platform earlier and let me get impaled. She even could of made me go down it the wrong way. Plus she could have just torched me at after the first room. She has those fire powers after all. Maybe she doesn't hate humans? Wait. Maybe she is trying to adopt me. Like some sort of pet! She does seem really protective of me. And she did say something about this place being my "new home". But no way am I letting that happen! I _refuse_ to be some goat woman's _pet._ I get enough of that from Kii-chan!' Tomoko Then began to Imagine herself sitting in a pet bed with bowls of dry food and water. wearing a collar around her neck. With Toriel petting her head.

'Wait, maybe she wants to adopt me as her child? She does seem really motherly. And that would be a bit more preferable to being a pet. I still refuse go along with that though. As awesome as being a heroine traveling through this place is, I would still like to go home eventually. I couldn't live underground _forever_. I still need to get popular. And if there's anything that would give me that, it would be fighting my way through a underground world filled with monsters! I can see the news now! "Japanese high school girl discovers underground realm filled with real yokai and fights her way through them to safety! More at 11." I would make national, no, _INTERNATIONAL_ fame in no time! The whole _world_ will know who I am. People will hail me as a hero! I'll be-' Tomoko was broken from her thoughts by bumping into Toriel, who walked in front of her from behind a pillar.

"Greetings, Tomoko. Do not worry, I did not leave you. I was merely behind this pillar the whole time. Thank you for trusting me." Toriel said. Apparently Tomoko was so deep in thought that she didn't notice that she made it to the other end of the room.

"However, there was a important reason for this exercise." Toriel continued.

"W-what was i-it?" The awkward teen asked. Her contemplation on Toriel's motives still on her mind.

"To test your independence, Tomoko." The goat woman answered.

"My... I-independence?" Tomoko asked.

"Yes. You see, I must attend to some business, and you must stay alone for a while. please remain here, Tomoko. It's dangerous to explore by yourself." Toriel explained to Tomoko.

'She's going to leave me? And I'm supposed to _stay here?_ She's not the boss of me! Wait. What if something attacks me while she's gone? I don't have a weapon!' Tomoko began to worry. Being left alone in a place like this without a means to protect herself.

"B-but Toriel. What i-if som-something at-at-tacks me while your gone? How am I supposed to f-fight back, I d-don't have a weapon!" The teen voiced her concerns to Toriel.

"There is no need to fight back Tomoko. Almost any fight here can be solved peacefully without violence by talking to a monster and showing a little mercy. You just need to reach out and understand the monster that is confronting you. And from there, you can pacify them. You may even make a new friend! Showing mercy is highly regarded around here. Still, it is safer to remain here. As monsters rarely come through here and I shouldn't be gone long. You will be alright my child." Toriel said to ease Tomoko's worries.

She then began to think of something that could help. "I have an idea. I will give you a cell phone." 'They have cell phone down here?' "If you get attacked, or if you have a need for anything, just call."

"I-I already have a ph-phone, thank you." Tomoko said as she showed her phone. Still rather surprised that they have technology that up to date down here.

"That may be the case. But unfortunately, human cell phones are incompatible with ours. So here. Take this." The goat woman said, giving Tomoko...

' _A flip phone?_ Huh, guess they are not _quite_ as up to date as humans are' Tomoko thought as she examined the phone.

"Now be good, alright?" Toriel said before leaving the room. To do whatever it is that she needed to do alone.

"Well, guess there isn't much to do other then to wait. I still don't want to take my chances with this place without a means to fight back. So I'll do what Toriel asked of me _for now._ " Tomoko said as she sat down in front of the pillar, to think and daydream to pass the time until Toriel returned...

* * *

It had been a few minutes since Toriel left Tomoko alone in the room. And Tomoko already got tired of day dreaming

"Whats taking her so long. Wait. What if _this_ is a trap! Leaving me here alone so other monsters can kill me! ...No. If she was okay with the idea of other monsters killing me, she wouldn't have intervened when Flowey attack me. What was even up with him anyway? He disappeared after Toriel blasted him across the room. Is he still alive? If he is, where is he now?" Tomoko wondered in hopes of passing the time.

"And that kid... What's _his_ deal? Was that meeting with him really just a dream? I haven't seen him at all after I got down here. Maybe I can only meet him when I'm sleeping? But then how did I see him in the cave before I fell down here? I was wide awake then! And didn't he said he'll help me? Yet the only person that was helping me so far is Toriel. Some "help" he turned out to be. Maybe it's those messages I keep getting in my head in every fight? But those weren't helpful _at all!_ Just confusing. In all honesty, he kinda give me a bad vibe. I probably should of put some thought into it before agreeing with his deal. For all I know he could be like Kyubey. Tricking people into making contracts with him with the promise of fun and adventure only for the other party to end up dying in misery and despair, while he reaps the benefits of the deal. And I probably walked right into it like a sucker..." The teen thought as she contemplated motives of the mystery boy.

"GAHH! _When_ will Toriel return!? I Can't just leave without her. I don't have any means of fighting monsters by myself! Beside, she would probably be angry about me leaving if I meet her again. Which I probably will. And I still need to use her bathroom to clean myself. I _don't_ want to smell like piss throughout me whole adventure here." Tomoko Said. Getting impatient with how long Toriel's been gone.

"Maybe if I called her." The teen pulled out the phone Toriel gave her.

She examined it. It's been a really long time since she used a phone like this. She was unsure if she remembered how to use one. Ultimately she did, and she noticed a number was already saved to speed dial. Toriel's no doubt. She pressed it and waited for a response.

"This is Toriel. Is that you Tomoko?" The goat woman said form the other side of the line.

"Y-yea. I j-just wanted to say he-hello is all." 'What? No, that's stupid! I wanted to call to know how long she'll be gone!' Tomoko answered, then berated herself for her reply.

"You only wanted to say hello...? Well then. 'Hello!' I hope that suffices. hee hee." Toriel replied warmly. Even a bit jollily.

'At least she's understanding.' "No... W-well. Actually. I w-would like to know w-when you'll b-be coming back." The teen corrected herself. Wanting to get to the point of the call.

"Oh... Well, I am close to my intended destination. It should be about... 40 minutes before I return. Without distractions of course. I hope this is not to troubling for you. Is something wrong?" Toriel answered. Sounding slightly worried.

"N-no no! I-it's fine. I just wanted t-to know how long it will be i-is all." Tomoko said. Wanting to reassure Toriel she is alright.

'Wait. Why am I concerned of her being worried?' The teen asked herself.

"Aright. Well, I will be going then. take care." And with that, she hung up.

Tomoko then sat there. thinking about what to do next.

"...Why was I concerned about her? She has been treating me like I'm a stupid toddler since I got here. And doesn't treats or respects me like the mature young woman I am. I'm still mad about the fact she thought I needed those switches to be labelled." Tomoko said, trying to figure out why she was said the things she said.

*Sniff sniff* "Ugh, the smell. Hay! There was pools of water in the other rooms. Maybe if I go back and take a quick dip in one of them to rinse myself off it could help? I would be soaking wet though. And cold. And Toriel said I had to stay in this room. But she'll understand, right? And it'll only be a quick dip. Just enough to get rid of the smell. There shouldn't be a problem with that." Tomoko then got up and started making her way to the last room.

However, she caught a quick glimpse of something sinking into the ground in front of her. She couldn't make out exactly what it was, but judging by the green, white, and yellow coloration and the _flower_ like shape, she had a good idea of what it was.

' _F-Flowey!?_ Hes here? is he stalking me? Oh no... _I'm alone!_ Was he waiting for this? Does he want revenge? Is he going to kill me? Oh God, I still don't have a weapon!' Tomoko then began to panic.

'I can't wait for Toriel to come back! I got to leave. I got to get out of here! But Toriel said that the Ruins where dangerous. Then again, considering the way she's been treating me, she probably thinks a cute little puppy would be too "dangerous" for me. And in all honesty I rather take the Ruin's chances then stay in _this room_ with Flowey! I'm pretty sure she'll understand.' The teen then decided. If Flowey was following her, she would need to keep moving. Regardless of what Toriel said.

She quickly walked back to the side of the room with the pillar. Once there, she stood in front of the door Toriel left through sometime ago. Preparing herself for the journey ahead. She was frightened. Having no weapons or means to fight with. But thinking about what Toriel told her, about how the monsters here considered mercy a virtue, and that they can be pacified by simply talking to them, she started to gain some confidence about making it to somewhere safe. Until the implication of that hit her.

'Wait. Talking to humans is hard enough. How am I going to talk _monsters_ out of killing me? Oh God. This could be harder then I thought.' She thought as she began worry.

Nonetheless, she steeled her nerves, gathered her determination, and walked through the door. Somewhat ready to face whatever the underground will throw at her...

* * *

 **Till next time. Whenever that will be...**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello everyone! I am deeply sorry for how long this chapter took to make. I would like to say it was something "family problems" or "school sucks!" but the honest truth is that the only reason it took as long as it did to make was because I am a lazy procrastinating dingus. Well, that's not _entirely_ true. Christmas and the holidays did get in the way a little bit near the end. As well as the fact that this chapter turned out _much_ longer then I initially planned (I originally wanted Napstablook to make his debut in this chapter before I realized how long it was going to be). it's not enough to justify how long this took. But hopefully enough to have _something_ to blame (besides myself of course). Again, I apologize for my horrible update schedule.** **Anyway, lets get on with Tomoko's painfully awkward adventure into the underground.**

* * *

 **CH.4**

 **Because I'm not popular, I'll fight some monsters!**

After walking through the door, Tomoko found herself in a room that wasn't too different from the ones she's been in before.

'where do they get all this lavender stone anyway?' The teen wondered as she studied the room.

She was quickly shocked to see another "Froggit" standing in front of her. Positioned right along the path into the room.

'a-a monster!? Already? I just left the other room and I'm already getting attacked!' She thought in concern. However, she noticed that the froggit didn't seem that aggressive. Just standing there in a relaxed manner.

'I-it's not going to attack me?' Tomoko started to relax a little as the froggit didn't immediately initiate a FIGHT.

She cautiously started to approach the froggit until she was startled by a ringing noise.

"GAHHHH!" She shrieked in surprise from the sudden loud noise. Even the froggit jumped a little in surprise! Though it was possibly more from Tomoko's own scream then from the ringing...

However the froggit recovered and quickly resumed it's relaxed state. Not showing any sign of aggression towards the teen. Said teen then started to dig through her pockets to reach the source of the ringing. Now realizing it was the phone Toriel gave her.

"Hello? This is Toriel." Came Toriel's voice from the cell phone.

"U-u-um, hi-hi T-Tor-Toriel..." The awkward teen responded shakily. Still a bit shaken by the sudden scare.

"Hello Tomoko. I didn't startle you, did I?" Toriel asked. Noticing the shakiness in Tomoko's voice.

"N-no no, I f-fine..." The teen lied. Not wanting to worry Toriel.

"That is good to know. You have not left the room, have you?" She asked Tomoko. Who immediately started sweating.

'Oh God. What should I tell her? Should I tell her yes? But she will probably get mad at me for disobeying her. But maybe if I tell her that I saw the flower that attacked me earlier in there? But then she'll start acting really concerned and start asking me all sorts of questions, and come rushing back here to baby me again. I _don't_ want to handle that. But if I lie she'll most definitely find out later and will probably get even angrier with me then she would if I just left-' "Tomoko?" Came Toriel's voice, breaking Tomoko out of her thought's.

It was then that she went with the first reply in her head. "N-no. I'm still i-in the room..."

"That is good to hear. There are a few puzzles ahead that I have yet to explain. It would be dangerous try and solve them yourself. Be good, alright?" Toriel responded. Explaining the reason behind her concern.

"A-alright..." And with that, the call ceased.

"...Now what? I can't go back in there with Flowey lurking around. Maybe if I call her back and tell her the truth? But then she would want me to explain why I lied to her. And that would be too stressful for me to deal with! But if I keep going she'll find out I left and not only get angry about me disobeying her, but also lying about it as well. Perhaps if I just tell her I saw Flowey if I bump into her again? That would work, I hope." Tomoko said. Trying to think of what to do next.

Feeling her Brain hurting from trying to think of her next coarse of action, the teen began to study the new room. As her earlier statement suggested It was pretty much the same as the last rooms she was in. Lavender stone bricks made up the entire room with a few green vines growing on the walls. The room had two different paths to take this time however, one going to the right of her at the entrance before bending forward again. Creating a corner that kept her from seeing where the other end led to. A light lavender trail went through the room, following it's curves. laying around on ether sides of the path was more piles of those red leaves she saw from the first room after meeting Toriel. On the wall on the left, right past the froggit in front of her, was a doorway that seemed to lead to a different room.

'So I got options on which way to go this time!' The teen thought. Already thinking about Which path to take.

The first thing on her mind however, was to see what was up with the froggit that was just standing there. She cautiously walked up to it. Jumping a little when it decided to speak up.

"Ribbit ribbit."

 **(Excuse me, human.)**

"H-huh!?" Tomoko exclaimed. Startled not only by the froggit talking to her. But also by the fact she could _understand it_.

 **(I have some... *Sniff* Advice for you about battling monsters. If you ACT a certain way or *cringe* FIGHT until you almost defeat them... They Might not want to battle you anymore.)**

The froggit said. Something clearly bothering him while he was talking.

It was also here that Tomoko realized the reason why she can understand him was because the mysterious message had returned and was actually translating for her.

'Hay, that's actually useful!' She thought.

The froggit continued on in spite of the mystery irritant.

 **(If a monster does not want to fight you, please... *That smell...* Use some MERCY, human.)**

"Ribbit." The froggit said. Finishing it's explanation.

"U-um, th-thank you for the a-advice..." Tomoko said. Though a bit unsure why this froggit was helping her when the last one attacked her.

"Ribbit ribbit."

 **(Don't mention it. Now, *Cough* Be on your merry way.)**

"Ribbit." Said the froggit. A bit quick to dismiss her.

'I wonder what was bothering him so much.' Tomoko thought as she decided to go through the doorway on the left wall.

After walking through it and out of earshot, the froggit spoke up again, though more to it's self.

"...Ribbit ribbit."

 **(Do** _ **all**_ **humans smell like that?)**

* * *

Tomoko was a bit disappointed that the room on the other side of the doorway was a dead end. It was a small, square shaped room with small streams of water on the left and right side. The wall opposite of her was completely covered in vines. She contemplated that a secret passage might be hidden behind the vines, but at the moment she was rather distracted by what was in the center of the room.

A white pedestal surrounded by red leaves sat in the middle. Atop it was a bowl filled with what looked like...

"...Is that candy?" Tomoko says. Surprised to see such a thing here.

As she approaches the bowl, she notices a note on the pedestal.

[Take one.]

"take one? Is it really okay for me to just take a piece of candy just like that? Maybe it's meant only for monsters." The teen questioned out loud. Unsure if it is really alright to just take candy just like that.

"maybe that froggit outside is some sort of guard? Making sure people only take one at a time. But that seems a bit absurd to have a hired guard over a bowl of candy. Then again, maybe monster society is quite different for human society and... Maybe its _magic_ candy! Maybe it gives or enhances the monster's magical powers! And if I eat it, _I'll_ get magical powers too! I mean, why else would you have a single room devoted to a bowl of candy?" She continued on. Believing she unlocked the "secret" of the mystery treat.

"Yea that must be it! Then i'll finally be able to fight monsters on _their_ level! I may have found a way to actually defend myself!" She concluded. Now fully willing to take a piece.

She took a piece of candy. Stopping to look at the colorful wrapping before opening it up.

'Time to see if my theory is correct.' She thought before hesitantly putting it in her mouth.

It tasted very sweet, as expected of candy, and has a distinct flavor she could only really describe as "Non-licorice". It was rather good all the same. Suddenly, after swallowing it, she started feeling a strange sensation in her stomach that began to spread throughout her body. It didn't feel bad however, quite the opposite. It felt very good! As if her entire body was revitalized and rejuvenated. All the minor aches and fatigue she had vanishing away as her body felt as if it was in tip-top shape.

"That feeling... It must be my new found magical powers coursing through my body! I can't wait to test them out on the next monster to challenge me to a fight. Flowey is _so screwed_ the next time we meet!" Now fully believing in her "new found magical powers" she began to investigate the vine covered wall right behind the pedestal, fully believing there is a secret passage behind it.

As she investigates it however, she comes to the disappointing conclusion that there really is nothing but more wall behind the vines. Turning around to leave the room, believing there is nothing else it has to offer, she walks past the pedestal. At first paying it no mind now that she got a piece. She stops at the doorway, look behind her at the bowl of candy as a sudden mischievous thought crossed her mind.

'...If it really gave me magical powers, it is within reason to believe it could also restore them if they are depleted. I know it said I should only "Take one", but considering the desperate survival situation I'm in, it is understandable to take a few more for the road. After all, who knows when i'll find more of them. they are probably quite rare! Besides, who'll be the wiser?' Fully convincing herself that it is aright to take more, Tomoko walks back to the pedestal to grab a few more pieces of candy.

"Just a few." She reassured herself as she takes another piece of candy and pockets it. Admittedly feeling a small tinge of guilt for some reason. She still took another piece of candy anyway. However, as she takes a fourth piece of candy, she accidentally knocked the bowl off the pedestal. Spilling candy all over the floor!

'...Shit! I really hope someone didn't here that. I-I have to clean this up before someone finds out!' The awkward teen thought in panic. Quickly scrambling to scoop all the candy back into the bowl before someone comes and investigates.

Luckily, nobody came. Allowing her to clumsily put all of the candy back into the bowl and on the pedestal. Feeling she took enough candy as is, she then briskly walked out of the room and back into the hall. Completely unaware of a certain flower coming out of the ground behind her and watching her leave.

"...Is she seriously this stupid..."

* * *

Tomoko walked back into the hall, a bit paranoid of someone finding out what had happened. She looked at the froggit, still standing in the same spot it was in when she first came into the hall. It didn't looked at her as she walked past. Making her believe she gotten away with her "crime". It did sniffed the air and winch slightly. But she paid it no mind. Trying to take her mind off the candy room, Tomoko thought she would check something before venturing farther. Pulling out her phone (her original phone. Not the one Toriel gave her) she proceeded to try to call her mother.

"...No reception. Figured as much." She said. Being only mildly disappointing.

She already guessed it wouldn't work down here, but she thought she should check anyway. Just in case. In all honestly, she only really thought of doing that after her phone call with Toriel. After getting caught up with the whole "adventuring through a underground world filled with monsters" thing, she kinda _forgot_ she could have just called for help using her phone. Or at least, she would like to _say_ she forgot. In actuality it was more likely she wanted to forget just so she could have a excuse to go on her "Adventure".

Suddenly, now that she remembered she had her phone, a _new_ idea popped into her head on how it could be useful.

'You know. Even if- _when_ I manage to return to the surface, most people won't believe me if I told them about all of this. That is, unless I bring back _proof._ Like, _video proof._ I'll document my entire adventure down here using my phone! Then, when I get back to the surface, I'll show the videos to everyone! If I post them on youtube, I am _guaranteed_ to get millions of views. People everywhere will get a first person view of all the awesome things I will do! I can hear their praise now...

"Tomoko! How did you manage to stand up to that horrifying abomination without so much as flinching? you're so brave!"

"Tomoko! The way you took out that entire horde of hellhounds was breath taking! you're amazing!"

Yes! It's a brilliant idea! I'll will most definitely be world famous by the end of this!' Tomoko thought as she walked down the hall. Confident that her plan will work.

She held out her phone at arms length and pointed it's camera at herself. She let out a sigh and steeled her nerves a bit before finally pressing record.

"H-hello." She started. Already feeling a bit nervous. "I'm Tomoko Kuroki, a-and I fell down a hole." Tomoko continued awkwardly.

'Fell down a _hole!?_ That barely explains anything about how serious my situation is! I should elaborate.' After berating herself about her bare bones explanation about her current situation, Tomoko continued.

"W-wait I mean..." Tomoko said as she began to back peddle. "I was hiking along Mt. Ebott un-until I discovered a cave. In that cave was a deep pit th-that I d-discovered and fell down. B-by accident of course!"

'Shit! I really should of planned my explanation more before I started recording. Should I stop and start over?' Tomoko was already having second thought about this idea.

'No. This _is_ a survival situation after all. I think most people will understand me being a bit nervous considering the predicament I'm in. In fact, it would probably make it more believable.' after giving it some thought, Tomoko decided to continue with her video.

"As of r-right now I have ve-ventured some distance into a cave system that was connected to th-the pit I fell down. I-I would go back to show the pit, but there are _cr-creatures_ that are roaming around down here. Some of th-them being _aggressive!_ And-and I know f-for a fact that one of them is roaming around so-someways back." The teen went on. Now more confident that her idea would work.

"In fact. One of those creatures are right over there!" She than pointed the camera at the froggit she passed. At first she was worried most people wouldn't believe it was real due to it's still, statue-like stance. Luckily when she turned to face it, it turned it's head to look back at her. Apparently taking notice that it was being mentioned.

"Th-that one's alright though. Some of the monsters I bumped i-into down here seem to be friendly thankfully. Ano-nother one helped me out earlier, but she left some time ago and I-I don't know where she went to. So I'm on my own for now." She explained to her future audience. As well as give more info about her situation.

"As you can see, this place was clearly made by s-some ancient civilization." The teen said as she panned her phone around the room she was in. "It was probably the creatures down here. They seem intelligent enough."

As Tomoko was showing the room to her phone's camera, she began to approach the bend at the end of the path. And from around the corner, a small, purple monster emerged. It's body looked like a classic bed sheet ghost, with two thin wire-like legs dangling beneath it's hovering body. Two similarly thin arms came from it's side, ending in small hands. It's hovering ability was granted to it by the pair of insect-like wing on it's back. And a similarly insect-like pair of antenna sat atop it's head, dangling over a face that looked distressed and worried. The monster was shivering slightly, more out of anxiety and stress then the room's temperature, as well as muttering things to itself. And wasn't paying much attention to it's surroundings as it rounded the corner. resulting in it suddenly running into Tomoko. Who herself wasn't paying much attention as she was showing the floor of the room to her phone.

"...There's also these weird piles of red leaves all over the place. What's up wi-" The resulting collision with the nervous monster interrupted her musings of the ruins. Forcing her and her phone to look up at whatever it was she bumped into. The small monster similarly looked up to see who it collided with. Upon making eye contact with each other, they both did the first thing that came to mind when they realized what it was that halted their respective paths.

"... _ **GHAAAAAAAAAAAAH!**_ "

They screamed...

And like that. A familiar feeling over took the awkward teen as a battle began. With her soul coming out of her chest and the white box appearing around them.

 **[Whimsun approached meekly!]**

Now knowing the name of the mystery monster, Tomoko started to size it up. Taking note of it's meek and feeble appearance.

 **[Whimsun - ATK 5 DEF 0 *This monster is too sensitive to fight...]**

She also takes note of the fact that the text of the mystery messages seem to be _shivering_ similarly to the whimsun before her.

'That's weird...' *Sniff* '...Why do I smell lavender and mothballs?' She thought as she began to notice the sudden smell.

"I'm sorry..." The nervous monster apologized. Presumably about bumping into her.

However, strange magical looking moths started to emerge from beneath the monsters bed sheet-like body and began to fly straight at her. At first Tomoko flinched and closed her eyes, bracing for impact. When no impact occurred however, she opened her eyes to see the moths flying around her. They where flying rather fast. And some of them made attempts to dive bomb her. Making her flinch again in response. However she quickly noticed that they always called off their attacks at the last minute. It was then she realized that none of them was actually getting near her. Only flying around her. As if this attack was a bluff... Or a warning shot.

Upon realizing she's safe where she was for now, she started to think about how she'll handle this situation.

It was then that she noticed that the whimsun was grasping it's antenna. Looking notably more miserable then it already did.

'Why is it doing that? Wait... Didn't my biology teacher said that insects smell with their antenna? It _is_ a insect right? It's got wings and antenna like one. And it's arms and legs are really skinny like one. Maybe it looks more like a bug underneath that... What _is_ that covering its body anyway? A bed sheet? A cloak? Whatever. Anyway, maybe the smell of mothballs is bothering it? My mom uses mothballs to keep bugs away. But isn't it the one making that smell in the first place?' She began to ponder what was bothering the whimsun. Mostly just to pass the time as she waited for an opening. Since all she had to do to avoid the magic moths was to simply stand still.

'Hey... This would actually be a good time to test out my new magical abilities! So let's!... Uh, how do I do this?' Tomoko thought as she tried to come up with a plan of action.

Eventually, all the moths gradually disappeared. Leaving behind a more nervous looking whimsun. Trying to avoid making eye contact with the teen.

'It's now or never...' Said teen thought as she sees her opening.

Moving her phone to her left hand, she raises her right one at whimsun. Focusing as hard as she can to fire a bolt of magical energy...

...Only for nothing to happens.

'...Maybe I need to do something else?' She thought nervously.

She began wiggling her fingers. Hoping that might make it work. Only for that to fail as well.

'Dammit! why isn't this working!?' she thought in frustration.

 **[You raise your arm and wiggle your fingers. Whimsun freaks out!]**

And true to the message, The whimsun had a terrorized look on it's face. Seeming as if it where on the brink of panic.

"I can't handle this..." Said the frightened monster. Hyperventilating in fear.

'Well... at least I managed to intimidate it...' Tomoko thought. Being glad that her move did _something._

It was then that the whimsun attacked again. More moths started to appear from it's body and fly towards Tomoko.

Seeing that the attack was the same as last time, she decided to pass the time for it to finish by practicing her "magical powers".

As she went to pocket her phone so it wouldn't get in the way, she took notice of something.

'Wait. I've been recording this entire time?' She realized as she looked down at it.

quickly turning it off and hoping she didn't manage to record her embarrassing first attempt at magic, she put it back into her pocket and began holding out her arm again.

"Come on... LIGHTING BOLT!" The teen shouted. Hoping to get something this time. But alas, nothing.

"Work dammit. FIREBALL!" She shouted again. Only to still produce nothing.

"gah. ABRACADABRA!"

"HOCUS POCUS!"

"BLIZZAGA!"

"STUPEFY!"

"MAGIC MISSILE!"

To her credit. The constant stream of magic words She was screaming was making the whimsun freak out heavily. But that only succeeded in making it pour out more moths at her.

'Maybe I should get closer?' Tomoko thought. Slowly inching closer to the terrified monster.

However. In the "magic-word-shouting-fit" she was having earlier. She lost all concern for the magic insects flying around her. As she slowly moved her outstretched arm closer to the virtual wall of moths surrounding her. A moth flying a bit outside the swarm collided with her hand. Upon impact, the moth seemed to disintegrate into a puff of magic before going into the limb. Instantly she felt a sudden jolt of pain that raced down her arm and ended at her chest. Her soul started flashing rhythmically with the pulsating, otherworldly pain she felt. Her instant reaction was to withdraw her arms and clutch her chest as she fell butt first onto the hard stone floor beneath her. All while letting out a sudden shriek of pain.

' _Ohgodohgodohgodohgodohgod_ THAT HURT SO BAD! I thought those moths where just a bluff! But why does it make my chest hurt if it hit my arm!? Wait... Do monster attacks hurt my soul?' Tomoko looked down to see her soul. There it floated above her chest. Heart shaped and constantly flashing between a lighter and darker shade of gray. Noticing that the pulsating pings of pain were in fact in sync with the flashing.

A few seconds after the attack the flashing finally stopped and her soul settled on the darker shade of gray. And with it, the pain finally stopped as well and turned into a mild ache. It is now that she also notice an ache in her hand as well. Upon looking at it, she sees what looks like a rather nasty cross between a bruise and a burn on the back of her palm where the moth hit. It was here that a cold dread started seep through her body as she came to a sudden realization.

'It... It could have hit me with those moths the whole time! I-I don't want to think about what could have happen if it decided to make them all fly into me at once... And all while I was standing there shouting magic words like a idiot.' Thought the frighten teen. As she looks on at the massive hurricane of moths flying around her. She couldn't even see the whimsun through them!

As the moths finally began to disappear, Tomoko looked up to finally see the whimsun floating in front of her. Still looking as nervous and frightened as before. Which was rather ironic. Considering Tomoko herself was now quite scared. Knowing that it can still attack with the magic moths again while she had no magic to defend herself with (Or doesn't know how to use yet. As she would argue.).

"Forgive me..." The timid monster said. Looking surprisingly apologetic as it continues to hold it's antenna. Still clearly bothered by some sort of smell.

It was here that Tomoko remembered that the monster was afraid of _her_.

'Aright. It's clearly just as scared of me as I am of it right now. How can I use this to escape this battle? Maybe saying something like...

"Meh. It's aright. Since I'm in a good mood and all, I'll let you go. For now."

Or maybe something like...

"Hay. That was a pretty good fight. I guess you're alright. Off you go little guy."

Yes! If I can get it to think I am stronger and tougher then I'm actually- Then I'm currently am, It will definitely let me go!' Finally settling on a plan of action, Tomoko cautiously began to stand up.

"Heh. Th-tha-"

However. Before she could even get halfway through her first word, the whimsun let loose a terrified scream before bursting into tears and quickly flying towards her.

"GAHHH!" Tomoko herself was taken off guard by the whimsun's sudden outburst and quickly braced herself, thinking it was going to ram her. Only for it to fly right past her into the direction she just came from.

 **[YOU WON! You earned 0 EXP and 0 gold.]**

Finally. The white box disappeared and her soul returned to her body. Signaling the battle has came to an end.

"...I won?" She opened her eyes and looked behind her. Seeing the whimsun flying down the hall she was walking down not too long ago. Tears dripping down from underneath it as it went.

After letting a moment pass to regain her bearings, Tomoko Finally continued on. Going around the bend and down the hall the Whimsun emerged from. Relieved that the battle was finally over. Said whimsun meanwhile was resting at the end of the hall. Tired and out of breath from running, well, _flying_ away from the terrifying human.

"... I-I knew humans where scary. B-but I didn't think they... _Smelled_ like that..." Whimsun said. More to itself then to anyone in particular.

"Ribbit ribbit."

 **(So you smelled that to, huh?)**

Whimsun jumped when it heard the froggit right beside it speak up. Just now realizing it was there.

* * *

Back to Tomoko. She continued down the path the whimsun came from. Her face contorted into a look of disapproval as she watches the video she just made on her phone.

"Dammit! I really did look like an idiot..." She voiced her displeasure as she watched. Realizing she did in fact captured her "battle" with the whimsun.

She watched as she held out her hand dramatically at the nervous monster, which flinched as she did so. Holding it there for a solid 8 seconds as nothing happen. Then began to wiggle her fingers (As well as make a "Whooooo"-ing sound. As she just realized watching the video). An action that made the whimsun recoil in terror.

"Uuuughhh." Tomoko groaned in displeasure. "I'll just cut that last part out when I get out of here. Make it look like I turned it off immediately after it attacked me. Yea. That's believable."

She then stopped and held out her phone again.

"well, I should probably make a follow up video." Tomoko said. preparing to record. "It's not like I don't have any proof that a battle took place..." She continued. Looking down at her injured hand with a grimace. Before finally pressing record.

"I-I'm back. I just g-gotten out of a fight with one o-of the monsters down here. I'm mostly alright. I-it hurt my hand though..." She showed her injured hand to her phone. The burn/bruise still looking rather fresh.

As she was filming. She continued to walk down the hall.

"It still hurts a little. Bu-but I think it's alright for now. My chest seems to ache a lot for s-some reason though." She said as she passed a strange opening on the wall to her left. Paying it no mind.

"That's the w-weird thing though. When it hit my hand, it was mostly my chest that was hurting. It was like a... A wave of pain going down my arm and, and stopping at my chest." The teen continued. Sharing her experience with her future audience.

However. As she walked down the lavender hallway. She wasn't giving the floor nearly as much attention as she was during her last recording. And because of that, she felled to notice the dark and cracked portion of floor in front of her.

"Yea. That kind of m-makes me worri-aaAAAGGGHHHH!" Once again. Tomoko finds her recording session getting interrupted. Though this time it was by the floor collapsing beneath her.

Thankfully, her fall wasn't that long. Falling only about 12 feet before crashing face-first into a pile of red leaves on the floor below That cushioned her landing. After getting up and spitting out the the leaves that gotten into her mouth, she began to frantically look for her phone. Luckily, it too landed in the pile and looked no worse for wear. It was even still recording!

After digging it out of the pile and standing up, she began to pick up from where she left off.

"T-the floor gave out from beneath me!" Tomoko Exclaimed to her phone's camera. Her appearance looking more disheveled then usual with red leave stuck in her hair and clothes.

She then pointed her phone to the ceiling above her. Showing the hole she fell through.

"H-how am I g-going to get back up?" The teen then began to look around the room she fell into. Noticing two doorways on ether side of the leaf pile.

"Well, at least w-we have a way to get out of here..." She said to her phone as she pointed it's camera towards them.

After standing there for a while to fix up her appearance. She then began to decide which one to go through.

"...L-lets go through this one." Tomoko then began to approach the doorway on the right.

As she looked through it, she noticed that it was actually dark inside. As if the magical phenomena that was keeping the rest of the ruins lit wasn't applied to it. She could still however see what looks like a spiraling staircase inside. Getting darker as it ascended upwards. Turning on the flashlight on her phone, she then began to hesitantly make her way into the doorway.

'Why is it so dark? Was there budget cuts on the magical invisible lighting? Maybe they didn't thought a tiny stairway like this worth wasting magic on? Maybe... Maybe this leads to a old abandoned part of the ruins? A part long forgotten by the monsters that live here. A place dark, shadowy and mysterious that is roamed by creatures considered powerful and disturbing even by the monster's standards!' The teen started to dread as she contemplated where the spiral staircase will take her.

'What about that other doorway? Where does it go? Would it take me back to the rest of the ruins? What-' Her thoughts where interrupted when she reached the top of the staircase.

Instead of the dark, decrepit version of the ruins she was expecting. There was a wall that had a chute in it. From the chute she could see light with a familiar lavender hue to it.

"W-what's this? Does it lead back to the r-rest of the ruins?" Tomoko said as she examined the chute with her phone. Still recording her video.

Looking into the chute, she can in fact see what looks like a lavender brick floor through it. Confirming that it did go back to the ruins. She also noticed the smell of mustard seeds coming from it for some reason.

"S-so to return to the ruins, I just gotta climb through this or..." She said as she hesitantly climbed into the chute. Phone clutched tightly in hand.

"...Here we go." And with that, she let go of the sides and slid down the chute.

It wasn't that bad of a experience. In fact it was sort of fun! If a bit short. When she came out at the other side. She landed butt-first onto the floor. It was a surprisingly gentle landing. Feeling as though she landed on something soft. She could have sworn she heard a croak though. She put that aside at the moment however as she got up and realized that she was now in the same hallway she was walking through before the fall. She look down at the floor to see the part to the side of her was dark, cracked and sagging. With the hole she fell through on the opposite side of her. Also on the other side of the damaged floor was chutes on the wall. Identical to the one she just came from.

'Well, at least I know where that other door leads to now. But what are they for? Is it so you can get back up for when you fall down? But why couldn't they just fix the floor! Is it supposed to be some sort of puzzle? Seems like a shitty puzzle if you ask me.' Tomoko thought as she studied the hall in depth.

Suddenly she was startled by her soul popping out of her chest and the familiar box appearing around her. Quickly turning around, she sees the creature responsible.

"A-a froggit!?" She exclaims as she sees the aforementioned monster stalking towards her. Look a bit more disheveled and angry then the ones she seen before.

 **[Froggit hopped close!]**

"(Ribbits threateningly) Ribbit, ribbit."

Not wanting to risk accidentally falling back down into the room below during the coming battle, Tomoko stepped away from the weak part of the floor and began to size up her opponent.

'That weird massage that gives me battle information hasn't came up yet. Probably because I already encountered one of these before. Doesn't matter. I kinda remember it being rather weak anyway. which makes this the perfect opportunity to practice my magic!' Already having a plan on how to handle this battle in mind, Tomoko pocketed her phone and took a stance as she prepared to face the froggit.

'Okay, just focus. Try to reach deep inside of yourself. Into the depths of your soul that is floating before you right now. And try to find _it_. An essence, feeling, desire, _anything_. And bring it out. Bring it to the surface. Make it a reality! Only then will you realize the mystic potential inside of you...' She told herself. Trying to psych herself up so she can use magic.

Meanwhile, the froggit was preparing a attack of it's own. The froggit opened it's mouth and out flew several large flies, similar to the moths used by the whimsun before. Tomoko paid them little mind as they approached her. Believing they will act similarly to the last swarm of magical bugs she faced.

'Yes, I can feel it!' She thought to herself as she raises her hands out towards the froggit. 'A power welling up inside me. Waiting to come out! Any moment now it wil-'

Suddenly, Tomoko was broken from her concentration by a familiar burst of pain from her stomach. Apparently, the flies _didn't_ act like the moths of the last monster. While the whimsun's magical bugs only flew around her and didn't touch her if she stayed still, the froggit's magical bugs simply flew straight towards her. fully intending to hit her. Though she managed to keep herself from collapsing into a crumpled heap on the floor this time, she still bent forward, clutching her stomach in pain.

'H-he already went straight to for the direct attack!? I mean, I guess he wouldn't be as hesitant as attacking as that whim-something. But he could at least give me a warning shot or something! You're a starter enemy. Act like it and don't hit so hard dammit!' She mentally cursed at the froggit as she held her stomach and watched her soul flash rhythmically.

However, the froggit didn't give Tomoko a chance to regain her bearings as more of the magical flies dived straight at her. Looking up just in time, she jumped to the side at the last second. The flies collided with the ground before disappearing in a burst of magic. She ducked and weaved around to the best of her abilities. Which honestly wasn't that impressive. Resulting in some of them managing to hit her.

'YHHEEE! Ouch! That!... Wait. That wasn't actually as bad as the first one. I mean it still hurts! Just not as terrible. Maybe it was a glancing blow-' "Yelp!" She cried out as another one hit her. 'No. It really isn't as painful as the first one. Weird. Maybe it's going easy on me?'

She couldn't really dwell on it much though. As the flies continued their assault. After some more evasive maneuvers, the last of the flies made their attack and disappeared. Finally getting a chance to catch her breath, she took the time to study the froggit further.

'Huh. He still looks rather angry. Is he angry at me? But What did _I_ do to make him so angry? Wait...' Her eyes then began to drift to the chute she came out of not too long ago. Remembering that her landing was unusually soft. As well as hearing a croaking sound when she landed.

'... Did I land on him?'

 **[Froggit hops to and fro.]**

"(Hops menacingly) Hop, hop."

The message snapped her attention back to the froggit. Who was indeed doing as the message said. As if getting ready for something. Until suddenly, it jumped straight at her!

"GAAHHHH!" Tomoko, not anticipating the sudden tackle, could only hold up her arms as it impacted her.

Time seemed to slow down for Tomoko. Air rapidly vacated her lungs as the froggit collided with her torso. Taking some of her spit with it. Her eyes rolled back into her head as her mouth gaped like a fish out of water. When time returned to normal for her, she went flying back from the force of the impact. Until she she smashed into the invisible barrier of the white box. Which flashed and become visible temporarily from the collision. She slid down the barrier until she landed on the floor. She just sat there. Still stunned from the froggit's assault.

'Holy shit! That hurt! That hurt _so bad!_ I think it may have broke something!' She thought as she began to cry form the pain. 'I-I think I'm going to faint. I feel really tired all of a sudden.'

She Then look down at her flashing soul and see something that startled her. And filled her with dread.

"Is my soul... Cracked?"

Indeed. Her soul looked like it had a crack going down the middle. She also could have sworn that it was glowing a lot fainter then it was earlier.

'W-w-why is there a crack!? How did it get damaged? Unless... Unless monster attacks really _do_ damage my soul! Oh god! Can it be fixed? What would happen if it _completely_ cracked! Would I...' She visibly paled. '... Would I die?'

The blood in Tomoko's veins turned to ice when the realization hit her. She could actually _die_ if she wasn't careful here. Shakily, she looked up at the froggit. Heavily disturbed to see it was still quite angry with her. And looking like it was ready to jump at her again. That thought sent a new wave of terror through her body.

 **[You are intimidated by Froggit's raw strength.]**

"(Croaks angrily) Croak, croak."

'Yea! No _shit_ I am intimidated by it! That thing nearly _killed_ me and could still very much do so. And... Oh no. It's going to attack again! I-I got to do something! I got to calm it down! But how?'

Tomoko wrecked her brain to think of a way out of this situation. Desperately trying to think of a way to pacify the angry froggit. Until finally, a surprisingly simple solution came to her mind.

'Maybe if I just...'

She got up onto her knees and put her hands together as she looked the froggit in the eyes. Before finally.

"I-I'm s-s-so-sorry."

She apologized.

I'm s-so-rry! I-I d-didn't m-me-mean to l-land-d on y-you. I-it w-w-was an-an ac-ci-cident! I-I f-fell through th-the floor-" She pointed a shaky hand at the hole in the damaged part of the floor. "-A-and fell i-int-to a-a ro-room below u-us! I-I was cl-climb-bing a s-stairc-case th-that led to th-that hole i-in the wall. I-I didn't kn-know you w-where right th-there, h-honest! I w-was just t-trying to g-get out!" Tomoko apologized as honestly as she could through her sobs. Crying and shaking on the floor through the whole thing.

The froggit, upon seeing the apology from the crying human, quickly felt it's anger subside. And even felt a ping of guilt replace it at the sight of the state it put her in. Granted, it didn't actually _understand_ what the human was saying, but it was pretty sure it _sounds_ like she was apologizing to it. It certainly looks like she was. That's for sure.

 **[Froggit didn't understand what you said, but accepted your apology anyway.]**

"(Ribbits guiltily) ...Ribbit."

At the sight (thought?) of that message, Tomoko felt a wave of relief wash over her. Her face breaking out into a smile. She then slowly got to her feet and hesitantly walked over to the froggit.

"Th-thank y-you..." She thanked the froggit meekly as she bowed to it.

Suddenly, she was startled when the froggit's nose began to scrunch up. as a look of disgust crossed it's face. At first, she was was frightened that she did something to offend it. Until she gotten another message in her head.

 **[Froggit seems reluctant to fight you.]**

At that, Tomoko, not knowing what else to do, simply stepped to the side and let the froggit pass. The froggit let out one last "Ribbit" and simply hopped past. A bit briskly she noted. But not before dropping something on the ground in front of her.

Suddenly, Tomoko's soul returned to her body and the "battle box" (As Tomoko now decided to dub it.) disappears around them.

 **[YOU WON! You earned 0 EXP and 2 gold.]**

'I don't... Feel like I won...' She thought as the message appeared in her head.

Upon seeing the froggit approach the damaged floor. She quickly called out to it.

"W-WAIT! The f-floor is-"

However, before she could finish her sentence. The froggit leaped over the damaged floor in a single bound. Landing on the other side without a problem.

Seeing as her warning was unnecessary, She let it die in her throat. And instead brought her attention to the thing on the ground that the froggit left behind. Upon examination, she discovered that it was in fact 2 gold coins!

'yea, didn't that last message say that I earned 2 gold or something?' She thought as she recalled the message she got after the battle ended.

'Why did he left it here? Is it for compensation for attacking me? Well, it isn't like I can just turn it down now. Seeing as he just left and I really don't want to try and cross that floor again...' The teen thought as she examined the gold before pocketing it. 'Besides, if these creatures do have a society down her, having some of the local money could be _really_ useful!'

With that done and seeing nothing else for her to do, Tomoko continued down the hall and on her way.

* * *

While continuing down the lavender halls, Tomoko started to think about something that bothered her during the fight.

'Why did the fly that hit me in the stomach hurt so bad, but the ones that hit me while I was dodging didn't? Maybe it was because the first one hit closer to my soul? No... One of the flies hit me in the back and felt about the same as the others in terms of pain. Plus that whim-thing from earlier hit me in the hand and it hurt as bad as the fly that hit my stomach. Maybe I should ask Toriel about it the next time we talk.' Tomoko thought as she walked.

'On another note, I should probably hold off on practicing magic for now. I still feel really tired and faint from that last battle. I'm pretty sure that means my soul is... Still damaged.' She touched her chest subconsciously.' And really needs to be healed. There is a way to heal it, right? Like a health potion or a inn I can rest at. That's usually how these things work. Whichever the case, I should hold on practicing magic until ether I learn more about it, or I'm in a better position for it.'

'And now that I think about it, I don't even _know_ if giving me magical powers is what that candy actually did. Maybe I need someone that does know how to use magic to teach me? Like Toriel! Yea, that's it! I'll make a note to ask her about that as well when we meet again.' Tomoko concluded her thoughts as she walks into the next room.

She could see a rock, a pressure plate on the ground in front of it, and a wall of spikes dividing the room in two. Before she could begin to make sense of it, she was distracted by her cell phone ringing. Already having a guess at who it is, Tomoko answered it.

"Hello? This is Toriel." Toriel greeted.

"H-hello..." Tomoko replied. Not as shaky as she was last time.

"May I ask you a question?"

"O-okay?" Said Tomoko. Somewhat hesitant about what Toriel might be asking.

"For no reason in particular... Which do you prefer? Cinnamon or butterscotch?"

'What? W-why would she want to know that? Is this like some secret test of character or something?' Tomoko thought. Being rather suspicious of Toriel's question.

"Tomoko? Are you still there?" Toriel asked. Snapping Tomoko out of her thoughts.

"Wha? Oh yea. Umm. B-buttersc-scotch I guess?" Tomoko finally replied. Settling on the first answer to come to mind.

"Oh, I see. Thank you very much!" And with that, Toriel concluded the call.

"...Well, that was stra-"

Before Tomoko could even put the phone back into her pocket, It started ringing again.

"Um, h-hello?" Tomoko answered. A bit annoyed to be called again.

"Hello? This is Toriel." She greeted identically as she did the first time.

"I-is their something e-else?" Tomoko asked. Trying to not sound irritated with getting called again.

"Yes. You do not DISLIKE cinnamon, do you? I know what your preference is, but... Would you turn up your nose if you found it on your plate?"

"N-no. Ci-cinnamon i-is fine too."

"Right, right, I understand. Thank you for being patient, by the way." Toriel told her before she hung up. Again...

Tomoko blushed a little from the remark on her patience. As it helped to elevate some of the irritation she felt about being called twice in a row. However it was at that moment that she just remembered something.

"Crap! I forgot to ask her about how the magic candy works!"

Quickly pressing Toriel's number on speed dial, she went to call her for the third time in a row.

"This is Toriel. Is their something else you want to talk about, Tomoko?" Came Toriel's response. Not at all sounding bothered by talking to Tomoko a third time.

"Y-yea, it's-" However, Tomoko paused when she remembered something else.

'Wait, Toriel thinks I'm still waiting in that long hallway. If I talk to her about the candy or my fights with the monsters, she'll come to the conclusion that I left! She would probably get angry at me and tell me to go back and wait for her. And if I tell her about Flowey, she'll... Well, I don't know what she'll tell me to do. But it would probably involve her treating me like a defective 2 year old again. And I don-' "Tomoko? Are you still there?" Toriel's question snapped Tomoko back to reality. Reminding her she was still on the phone with her.

"Y-yea. I'm h-here."

"Well, what was it you wanted to talk about?" Tomoko quickly tried to think of a excuse.

"N-nothing. Just w-wanted to say h-hello is all." She told her.

"You want to say hello again? 'Salutations!' Is that enough?" Toriel replied back. Believing Tomoko wanted to play some sort of game to pass the time.

"U-um, y-yea. That w-will do..." And with that, they both hanged up.

"That also reminds me that I have to think of something to say to her when I bump into her again. Hopefully I'll get that figured out by then. For now..." Tomoko then turned her attention back to the room she was in.

Approaching the rock, she sees scuff marks on the ground between the rock and the pressure plate. Making something of a trail between the two. Already knowing how to solve this room's puzzle, she walked behind the rock and started pushing.

"Hhhuuumph." The teen grunted as she pushed the rock. Struggling to move the large stone. Her scrawny, unathletic build not helping her in the slightest.

"Dammit! Did they have to use a giant rock for this puzzle? Couldn't they use a trolley with a heavy box or something on it? They clearly have cell phones. Having a puzzle more advance then pushing a stupid rock onto a button shouldn't be too much to ask for." Tomoko complained as she pushed the rock. Only managing to move it a few inches from the time she started pushing.

After 8 minutes of solid pushing (And 2 or 3 breaks). She finally got it on the pressure plate with the spikes in front of her sinking into the floor. After that, she collapsed onto the floor with her back resting against the rock.

As she sat there, panting heavily and too exhausted to move. She noticed 2 strange "things" moving into view from ether side of the rock. They were monsters. Or at least, she _thinks_ they are monsters. They looked like large, pulsating lime gelatins. They smelled like lime gelatin as well. Which made her a bit hungry. But she put that aside for the moment. They oozed forward, leaving light green trails of slime behind them. Paying her no mind.

'What? Where did these things came from? Were they hiding behind that wall of spike that I just took down? Or did they come into the room while I was busy pushing the rock?' She thought. contemplating their origins. 'ether way, they didn't seem to notice me. It's probably a good time to leave before they do. I'm far too tired to fight right now.'

Tomoko began to stand up slowly. Partially so she wouldn't alert the slime monsters and partially because her body still ached from moving the rock. As she did so, she notice something on the wall left form where she entered the room. It was another manuscript. One that she apparently missed on her first observation of the room. Seeing the slimes already exiting the room from the way she came from, she thought it would be safe to go check it out. Carefully stepping over the slimy trail left by one of the monsters, she walked over to the tablet on the wall to read it's contents.

'If it tells me of a better way to move that rock...' She thought with irritation as she approached the manuscript.

[ _Three out of four grey rocks recommend you push them._ ]

'Huh. Just some dumb hint to a obvious puzzle. Wait. Is it implying that I have to do this _2 OR 3 MORE TIMES!?_ ' The frustrated teen thought as she contemplated the wording of the manuscript.

Tomoko rubbed her face with both hands as she groaned. Believing she now has an idea of what's to come. Before turning around to exit the room.

'2 or 3 more times. _2 or 3 more times!_ It wouldn't have worded it like that if you were only going to push a rock once. Stupid rock pushing puzzles! I thought they looked easy from all the games that I played that had them. I guess it should have occurred to me that they would be really heavy and al-' "EEP!" Tomoko's train of thought was broken from suddenly slipping on something.

Apparently. Tomoko, too busy grumbling to her self about what puzzles she was going to do next, forgot about the trail of slime the monsters left on the ground. And to her discovery, they where quite slippery. The loud squeal combined with the sound of Tomoko's back slamming into the floor alerted the 2 monsters that where almost exiting the room. They quickly (relatively speaking) oozed their way over to it's source to discover a human lying down on one of their slimy trails.

"Uuuuuuugghhhh..." Tomoko groaned disoriented as she lay where she landed. Her head still pounding from the fall. As she got up and shook her head, she looked in front of her to see the 2 gelatin monsters standing(?) before her. Seeming to have finally taken notice of her. If their silence and stillness was anything to go by.

'...Here we go.' She thought in resignation as her soul came out of her chest, still as cracked as it was before, along with the battle box appeared around them.

 **[Moldsmal and Moldsmal block the way.]**

"squorch..." "Burble burb..."

Tomoko, now knowing the names of the monsters, got to her feet and began to take in her gelatinous opponents. They wiggled to and fro, like the desserts they resembled. Tomoko took the moment to study them in hopes of knowing what they might do.

 **[Moldsmal - ATK 6 DEF 0 *Stereotypical: Curvaceously attractive, but no brains...]**

'W-wha? Attractive!? That's the _last_ word I would use to refer to these things.' Tomoko thought. A bit taken aback by the description the message gave. 'If these messages really _was_ written by That creepy dream kid, then I have a _lot_ of questions regarding his "tastes".'

Suddenly, the moldsmals made their move. They both started shooting globs of slime from their bodies one at a time. They flew at Tomoko in a zigzag pattern. Making it difficult for her to predict there movements. Which frightened her because of her exhaustion as well as the fact that her soul was already pretty beat up from her last battle.

'I don't think I can afford to take another hit.' She thought with worry. None the less, after some ducking, weaving, and dodging, she managed to avoided all of the projectiles.

However, after their attack was finished. Tomoko collapsed on the ground. The exhaustion from her ordeal with the rock, combined with all the rapid dodging, getting to her again.

'Dammit! If it wasn't for that stupid rock, I wouldn't be as tired as I am right now.' The teen thought as she laid face down on the floor. Paralyzed with exhaustion.

Suddenly, one of the moldsmals approached her. At first, she feared for the worse. But when no attack came, she turned her head to the gelatinous monster to see it just standing there. Before flattening it's body right next to her. As if it was trying to lay down beside her. It's Surprisingly friendly gesture combined with it's lack of hostility helping her relax a bit.

'Huh. That's reassuring. I think.' Tomoko thought. Feeling rather peaceful in spite of the situation she was in.

 **[You lie immobile with Moldsmal. You feel like you understand the world a little better.]**

'I wouldn't say I feel like _that._ but I do feel oddly peaceful at the moment.' She thought as she contemplated the message.

After regaining her strength (She was kinda surprised they let her lay there long enough to do so.), she got back to her feet to face the other moldsmal. It started to convulse rapidly, as if angry, before it launched another attack. She looked to the one besides her. Worried it was going to attack as well. Only to see it wasn't. Putting that aside for later, she focused on the offending moldsmal.

It started shooting a blob of slime at her like they did before. However, this time it went in a straight line instead of a zigzag one. At first she was relieved that the projectile was simpler to predict. That was until it stopped in mid-air for a moment before _exploding_ into multiple blobs flying in all directions. The action startled Tomoko, resulting in her just _barely_ managing to duck down in time. She wasn't given much time to recover however. As the moldsmal started to shot _more_ exploding slime balls at her.

' _Holy shit!_ What did I do to piss it off so badly!? Was the one that laid down besides me it's boyfriend- Girlfriend- _Whatever!_ And it's jealous or something?' Tomoko theorized. Noting the the one that laid down beside her was still staying out of the conflict.

After the attack was finished. The attacking moldsmal was still shaking rapidly and violently like the most angriest gelatin Tomoko had ever seen. still seeming to be upset at her for something. It was then that she noticed that the more docile moldsmal started doing something as well. It was wiggling. Slowly and rhythmically. While making a gentle glubbing sound. The more aggressive moldsmal's rapid convulsions started to slow down a little. Before it started making very angry sounding glubbing noises back at it. The docile one only continued its hypnotic wiggling. As if trying to calm it down. It seemed to be working. As it started to wiggle in sync with it's partner as it approached them. Before going back to it's aggressive shaking. Except it was approaching Tomoko this time.

'Shit! It's still really angry with me. What can I do to calm it down?' She thought as she looked over at the docile moldsmal. 'What it's doing seemed to work for a while. Maybe if I...'

Not sure of what else to do. Tomoko started to wiggle her hips while looking at the approaching moldsmal. Trying her best to match the rythim of the other one across the battle box from her in hopes of communicating with them somehow. She suddenly felt extremely embarrassed from doing so. Guessing it's probably because of the ridiculousness of what she's doing. None the less, it seems to be working. As the approaching moldsmals aggressive shaking started to subside as it began to wiggle in rhythm with Tomoko

 **[You wiggle your hips. Moldsmal wiggles back. What a meaningful conversation!]**

'I-it's working! I'm calming it down!' Tomoko thought in delight. Blissfully unaware that she just made a sexual advance towards the monster. Probably made a offer for a threesome as well if the other one wiggling in rhythm with them was anything to go by.

Feeling like she could stop now. Tomoko ceased her wiggling with both moldsmals fallowing behind. The 2 slime monsters started to approach each other. Wiggling and blubbing affectionately for a while. Before expelling 1 gold coin each from deep within their bodies on the floor. recognizing what this means, Tomoko waited expectedly for the coming message.

 **[YOU WON! You earned 0 EXP and 2 gold.]**

'Yes! Finally it's over.' She thought as the message appeared in her head. She walked over to the money the 2 moldsmals left. The battle box disappearing and her soul returning to her chest as she approached her prize.

The aforementioned monsters meanwhile continued going in the direction they where originally going in before the fight. After pocketing her cash, she proceeded to collapse flat on the floor. Determined to finally get some rest before continuing.

* * *

 **Let it be forever known that Tomoko had her ass handed to her by a froggit. God help her when she gets to omega Flowey... On another note, my new years resolution will be to be more punctuate with my updating schedule. Among other things... I would love to say that means you can expect the next update soon but... We all know how most people are with their new years resolutions... I can say you can expect Napstablook next chapter. At least.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Holy cow. I actually uploaded a chapter right on my deadline! I may actually succeed in my new years resolution! I even had a good excuse to take a while in making it in the form of family problems and I still made it on time!**

 **Also, From here on out I am going to do something that I have seen on a lot of the fanfics I like. And that is make a review reply section!**

 **So, let's get started...**

 **LeCrazyWaffle: Well, as you can see. She is quite clearly on a pacifist run. Before making this, I kinda joked that if Tomoko where to ever fallen into the underground, she would go through it as a pacifist. Not because she's a caring person, but because she's too much of a wimp to actually _kill_ anything even with the inherent advantage humans have over monsters in a fight. Probably will bring up issues when I get to the Asgore and Omega Flowey fight. But hopefully character development will help fix some of that by then. Also, to me. Tomoko comes off as the type of person who _claims_ she could totally kill someone in a fight without so much as a second thought, but if actually put in a situation where she had to take another's life, she wouldn't go through with it. Also, although I don't have a _exact_ idea of what to with the Toriel fight, I do have planned all of their interactions before it. Which may influence the way it will play out.**

 **QueenOfNerds713: I have no intentions of stopping this. I am _very_ familiar with how frustrating it is when a creator cancels a fanfic that I have fallen in love with. And the last thing I want to do is share that feeling with my readers. Which is why I made it my new years resolution to work on this _at least_ once a day. **

**As for Papyrus and Undyne... I'm a bit unsure of how to handle Papyru's and Tomokos relationship. Just know that their "date" will be the perfect fusion between Undertale's quirky and witty sense of humor and Watamote's cringey (In the best way possible) and awkward sense of humor. And any pervert tendencies Tomoko shows to Undyne will be largely unintentional. Undyne to me comes of as the type of person that would cause Tomoko to act as if she was walking on eggshells around. Not that that behavior would do her any good do to how clumsy, both physically and socially, she is. Just look at how she acts around delinqu- I mean Yoshida in the manga.**

 **Guest #1: Nice to hear that I managed to nail Tomoko's personality. Getting character's characterization right was always a big deal to me when came to the fanfics I read. And one of the things that worried me about this one was messing that up. Her personality would probably change a bit as the story goes on, but that's to be expected do to character development. which brings me to...**

 **Server lock: Funny thing. I wasn't sure about what to do with the Napstablook fight before reading your review. As that was the thing that was distracting me form making chapter 3 a while back. I was unsure about whether or not I wanted to go with making Napstablook a travel companion as quite a few fanfics, 2 of which I'm fallowing, uses that idea already. And I kinda don't want to come off as copying. But I wanted to do _something_ special with the Napstablook fight do to the fact that both of them have some things in common. Hopefully their interaction with each other meets both yours and the other readers satisfaction. **

**And back to the topic of character development. I always believed that being a fanfiction does NOT exclude a story from having the necessities needed to make it engaging. That includes having characters change and develop their personalities as they venture through a story. One of the things I always crave from crossovers is having both worlds involved rubbing off on each other. You know, making the themes, humor, tendencies, etc. Of both of them mix with and effect the other. And that is what I plan to do with this crossover. Throughout the story, you will see Watamote's style of awkward, cringecomedy humor rub off and effect the Undertale world in the form of Tomoko interacting with it's characters. From being weirded and creeped out by Tomoko's strange tendencies and behavior to awkward misunderstanding coming form misinterpreting Tomoko's actions and choice of words. At the same time, the Undertale world will rub off on Tomoko mainly in the form of character development. With her learning about it through her encounters with it's inhabitants. And taking in some of it's messages and values along the way. Resulting in her coming out of it a different person from who she was coming in. Will she still be awkward and weird? Maybe. She's still going to be recognizably Tomoko by the end of it. But maybe just a bit more nicer and social as well. Sorry for the wall of text. Hopefully you all have an idea about what I have planned for this story now.**

 **And finally**

 **Guest #2: Ohohoh! I have _plenty_ planned for how she'll interact with sans.**

 **But all of that aside. Here is the next cringey installment of INMFIGSITU!**

 **...**

 **Yea. That acronym doesn't really roll of the tongue...**

* * *

 **CH.5**

 **Because I'm not popular, I'll befriend a ghost!**

"Uuugghhh."

Tomoko groaned as she walked down the halls. feeling like a zombie do to her exhaustion.

'Dammit! I still feel tired after that break. I just want to find a bed, or hell, even just a rather soft pile of leaves (It ain't like the're in short supply here after all) and take a nice, long nap.'

Tomoko complained to herself as she marched down the lavender brick halls. When she collapsed after her battle with the moldsmals. She took the opportunity to simply lay there and recuperate after her tiring ordeal in the last room. She rested for something between 10 to 20 minutes before deciding it was time to get up and continue her trek through the ruins. She wanted to rest longer or even fall asleep but...

'But I doubt that would be a good idea. After all, this place is crawling with monsters. If I just fall asleep in the first convenient place I find, I would practically be asking for them to come attack me. I can't afford to drop my guard for even a second here. So for now, I'll just have to press on until I can find a safe place to rest.' She thought to herself as she walked the halls.

As she did so, she noticed something on the wall to her left. It was a chute like the 2 in the room with the weak floor.

"What's this for?" She said as she studied the opening in the wall.

After looking at it for a while, she went back to walking down the hall only to see it opened up to a new room on the right. As she walked into the room, she looked out to see a sight that filled her with dread... And irritation.

"...Oh boy."

The room was huge! But that wasn't the problem with it. The problem was the fact that the _entire floor_ of the room was sagging, dark, and cracked. Like the floor in the room a while back. As well, the room had a turn that bent to the left. creating a corner that hid quite a lot of it from sight.

"How the _HELL_ am I going to get through this!?" the teen shouted in frustration at the sight of the room.

'Okay. Calm down. You can solve this.' She took a deep breath as she began to study the room. 'If this is anything like the other room a while back, there should be another room underneath this one that you'll fall into when the floor gives way. As well, there should also be a staircase that attaches to that chute in the hall I just came from.' Tomoko glances down the hall to look at said chute.

'Maybe the solution is down below? But that means I'll have to fall down to get through here. And I _really_ didn't like doing that the first time!' The frustrated teen sighed. Why did these puzzles have to be so physically taxing?

Nevertheless, Tomoko steeled her nerves and hesitantly made her first step onto the weak floor. She heard it crack and crumble beneath her foot as she put more of her weight on it. In spite of that, she continued pressing her foot onto the floor until she was practically standing on one leg. Surprised to see the floor holding her weight, she proceeded to put her other foot on it as well. She heard the floor creak more. But it succeeded in supporting her weight.

"Huh. It's actually supporting me. I guess-"

Suddenly, the floor gave out underneath her as she began to walk forward. Plunging her into the room below.

Just like before, Tomoko landed face down into a pile of red leaves on the floor. For a while, she just laid there motionless. Arms spread out and face buried in the leaves. Until she let out a exasperated and muffled sigh.

"... _Why_."

After voicing her tired and rhetorical response to her situation. Tomoko then began to get up to study the room she fell into. As expected, the room's shape mirrored the one above. Piles of red leaves cover the ground in various piles all over. To her left was a hallway that presumably led to the stairwell that will take her back up. While on the left wall in front of her, there was another stone manuscript.

"Yes! A possible clue on how to get through the room above." Tomoko then walked straight towards the manuscript to read it's contents. Paying the leaf piles no mind.

[ _Please don't step on the leaves._ ]

'...Well it's a little late for that.' Tomoko thought as she looked at the path she took to the manuscript. Stomping over a pile of leaves along the way.

'Wait. Why shouldn't I step on the leaves?' Tomoko looked over the room she was in. Now that she thought about it, there _is_ something strange about the way the leaf piles where spread around the room. Almost like...

'It's a path! The leaves mark out a zigzagged path through the room. That must mean that the floor above the path is stable. Ha! I'm so smart!' Tomoko praised herself in figuring out the solution to the puzzle.

After looking over the room one more time to memorize the pattern, she walked back to the hallway that presumably lead to the stairwell. Already ignoring the manuscript's message as she walked straight over a few leaf piles on her way out. As she guessed, there was in fact a stairwell in the hallway. after climbing it and sliding out of the chute (as well as making sure she _didn't_ land on a monster this time). She walked back to the damaged floor. Now feeling confident that she can cross it.

'I hope I'm right on this one.' The teen thought as she looked over at the hole in the floor she fell through earlier.

After a moment of hesitation, she repeated what she did last time. Only this time she stepped on the floor that should be above the exposed floor below. She notes that although it did creak when she stepped on it. It didn't do it as much or as loudly as it did before. Only when she put her full weight on it. Even jumping a little bit to confirm that it could support her, did she allowed herself to breath a sigh of relief.

'Yes! I was right. Now, just fallow the path that you memorized.' Tomoko told herself as she began to walk down the cracked floor. Being careful to not step on the floor that should be above the red leaves.

After making it around corner, she spots another manuscript on the left wall with a small pile of red leaves underneath it. Probably even right above the one in the room below. Seeing that it was approachable as the path touched the wall there, she fallowed the path around the room until she reached it and read it.

[ _Didn't you read the sign downstairs?_ ]

At first confused by it's message, she remembered what the manuscript below said. Then looked underneath her feet to see she was standing on the pile of red leaves.

"...Oh. Heh, it's a joke."

With nothing more to add to it, she continued down the unseen path until she reached the doorway at the other end of the room.

"Hay, that wasn't so bad!" She said as she started walking down the hallway. "Maybe I can get used to this place."

As she said that, she arrived to the room at the end of the short hallway. The sight that met her made her once bright mood sour.

"Or, maybe not..."

Near the end of the room was a river that separated the exit from the rest of it. A single wooden bridge with retractable spikes coming out of it served as the only means of crossing it. But that wasn't what upset Tomoko about the room. No, that honor belonged to the not 1, not 2, but _3 rock pushing puzzles_ that sat right in front of her.

' _3!?_ All at once? I knew that there would be more of them from the wording of that manuscript. But _all at the same time!?_ ' "GAAAHHHH!" She screamed in frustration at the thought of moving more rocks.

*Sigh* "Let's get this over with..." She decided to start with the left most rock. After spending a bit of time preparing for the ordeal, she began to push it with all her strength...

* * *

'I should have never skipped P.E as much as I did...'

13 minutes later, Tomoko laid on the ground. Panting and out of breath. Her entire body was sore and aching. 2 of the rocks where on their pressure plates. leaving one more for her to push before she could finally continue.

*Pant* "M-maybe I-" *pant* "Should have listen to-" *wheeze* "Toriel, and waited for her-" *cough* "To finish what ever it was she-" *sigh* "Needed to do..." Tomoko said between breaths. Questioning if she really should have stayed in that hallway someways back.

'...No. If I did stay, Flowey would have done something to me. Heck, he's probably still fallowing me right now. Which is all the more reason to continue moving forward.'

With that, Tomoko slowly began to stand up. Once she was confident that she wouldn't collapse back down on the floor, she steadily walked over to the third rock. *Sigh* "just one last rock..."

However, the moment she started pushing on the large stone. A voice called out from somewhere.

"WHOA there, pardner!"

Tomoko jumped when she heard the voice. Looking around to see where it came from.

"W-w-who said that!?" She said as she looked frantically for the voice's source.

"Me. That's who. And who said you could push me around?" It was then that Tomoko looked in front of her and realized that the voice was _coming from the rock._

'...Wha?'

Tomoko was so taken aback by the bizarreness of _a rock_ talking to her that she couldn't even figure out how to respond to it.

"Hum, mumb?"

She just stared wide eyed at the sapient stone before her. Mumbling incoherently as her mouth and brain ceased to work.

"HMM? What's that? Could ya care to speak up?" The grey rock asked her. Oblivious to the teen's mental BSOD. "Why where you pushin' me?"

"I was just... Trying to get you forward..." Tomoko said in monotone. Her brain running on autopilot.

"So you're ASKIN' me to move over?" Tomoko nodded yes. Still staring wide eyed. "Okay, just for you, pumpkin."

Suddenly, the rock started to slide forward by it's self a few feet. It was also here that Tomoko's brain finally snapped back to reality.

'Wait. Hold on. Why is the rock talking? Is it a monster? Is it some sort of trick by Flowey? Is the exhaustion finally getting to me? Have I gone insane? Did I fall asleep when I collapsed on the ground earlier and this is a dream? Did I fall asleep when I fell into the mountain earlier and _all_ of this is a dream? Am I dead and this is some sort of weird version of hell or purgatory? Did I hit my head when I collapsed and I'm now hallucinating? WHY IS THERE A TALKING ROCK!?-' "Hay! You still there?" The rock snapped Tomoko out of her rapid fire questioning. Finally bringing her back to the outside world.

'... I can question what the _fresh, actual hell_ is going on later. For now, I just have to... Roll with it.' The confused teen told herself. Realizing that at this rate her mind would break all over again.

"Y-yea. I-I'm still here." Tomoko replied. Forcing herself to ignore the surrealness that is having a conversation _with a talking rock._

It was also here that Tomoko noticed that the rock moved forward a few feet from where it was earlier. Not realizing she had actually asked it to move while she was in her stupor. 'did it move by it's self without me noticing?'

Now remembering what she was doing before. She now had to deal with the fact that she needs to get the talking rock onto the pressure plate behind it. A task that was probably more complicated thanks to the whole "talking" part.

"U-um. Excuse m-me." she asked the rock.

"HMM?"

"Could you m-move a bit..." Her sentence trailed off as the rock interrupted her.

"You want me to move some more?" The stone sounded a bit exasperated.

"U-um. Y-yea..."

"Alrighty, how's this?"

The rock Did move. However, it was to the _left_ instead of forward.

(' _Seriously_?') "U-um." Tomoko asked again.

"HMM?"

"I-I kinda wanted y-you to move th-that way..." She pointed forward at the pressure plate.

"That was the wrong direction? Okay, think I got it." To her delight. The rock not only moved back onto the path, but also all the way onto the pressure plate as well. causing the spikes on the bridge to sink down.

('Heh. That was easier then I thought.') "Th-thank you." She thanked the rock (as weird as it felt) as she walked pass to the bridge.

however, just as she was about to set foot on it. The spike suddenly shot back up! Tomoko screeched in fright and jumped back from almost getting impaled (' _THE HELL!?_ '). She looked back at the rock only to find it had moved off the pressure plate.

'Stupid God damn _rock_ almost got me _KILLED!_ 'The apprehension and confusion she felt towards the rock disappeared and was replaced with intense anger. She looked over at the rock with her arms crossed. Pointing a angry glare at it. "Ahem."

"HMM?" The rock responded. Seemingly unaware of her feelings towards it right now.

Tomoko simply pointed at the pressure plate in front of it. Still trying to bore holes in the annoying stone with her eyes.

"...You wanted me to STAY there? You're giving me a real workout." The rock responded callously. Ether uncaring or unaware of Tomoko's current emotions.

None the less. The rock did move back onto the pressure plate. Causing the spikes to sink back into the bridge. Tomoko walked back to it before stopping. She looked back to the rock with a glare to make sure it wasn't going to move off the pressure plate again. Seeing it was going to stay in place this time, she briskly but carefully walked across the bridge. Once she made it to the other side, she glanced to the rock one more time. Feeling nothing but bitter annoyance at the sapient stone.

'You should be turned into gravel you worthless over sized pebble! I rather go back to pushing normal, non-talking rocks than have to deal with you again.' The teen mentally cursed the rock before walking through the doorway. Wanting to put this experience behind her as soon as possible.

* * *

As Tomoko walked down the hall, her anger over the talking rock cooled down. Allowing her to properly go over the encounter and realize how bizarre it actually was.

'I still have difficulty believing that actually happened. First a floating dummy with noclip and now a talking rock? Seriously? What _other_ ridiculous things am I going to run into down here? Wait, what's this?'

She halts her brooding as she walks into a new part of the ruins the hallway led to. It wasn't a new room _per se._ More like a wider section of the hallway. But it did have something seemingly of interest in it. At the right corner furthest from her there was a table with something yellow on it. While on the left wall nearest to her was what looked like a small hole in it. It was much to small too fit anything other then her arm into. But she did entertain the thought that it may have a mouse living in there. A thought that was confirmed when she herd a small shuffling sound and a squeak coming from it. She walked over to the hole and squatted down to look at it.

"Hay. There's actually a little mouse in there! Maybe it's a monster too?" She said as she got down on her hands and knees. Pressing her head against the ground so she could look inside. "H-hello?"

She kind of felt silly trying to talk to a mouse. But considering she just had a conversation with a rock not too long ago, a talking rodent would be down right _normal_ here by comparison.

But alas, no reply, not even another squeak, came. Feeling mildly disappointed, she got back up to a standing position. '...Well, if it's worth anything. This means there are at least _some_ normal creatures here besides myself.'

Tomoko then looked to the table on the other side of the hallway before walking over to it to see what the object on it was.

"It's... Cheese?" The teen observed. "Why is there cheese here? Is it for the mouse?"

It seemed odd that there would be a table with cheese on it out for a normal, non-monster mouse. Then again, there was little about this place that _wasn't_ odd in some way. All the same, thinking about the mouse one day getting up to the table and eating the cheese made her feel really motivated for some reason. A feeling that strikes her as odd ('Why would the thought of a mouse eating cheese make me so exited? Ugh. What is up with this place!'). She went to pick the cheese up. Hope that putting it in front of the mouse hole may do something about her sudden burst of determination. Probably even be the solution to some sort of unseen puzzle. Only to find that it was stuck to the table. As well as find that it was quite hard also. Upon closer inspection, she found it was actually rather old. With a notable amount mold growth on it. 'Welp, guess giving it to the mouse isn't an option. Hope it likes blue cheese.'

Realizing there wasn't much else she could do. Tomoko continued walking down the hall. When she finally arrived at the next room, she sees something quite different from what she encountered before. The room itself was completely empty. No traps, puzzles, or anything in it. What was note worthy however is what was directly in front of her. The room seemed to narrow in the middle. Dividing it in two. The empty part she was in right now and the other part that presumably had something of interest past the narrow bit. A pile of red leaves sat right in the narrow part and resting in that pile was the thing that taken her notice when she first walked in. A white, semi transparent mass. It was when she approached the mass that she realize what it was. And the find left her feeling quite a bit spooked.

"A-a ghost!"

Indeed. Laying down in the leaf pile right in front of her was what looked like a classic bed sheet ghost. It looked to be about 4 feet tall if it were upright. It also seemed to have a face.

'They have ghost down here too? Actually, I kinda already knew that with that creepy kid from my dream. But what about this one? Is it the ghost of one of the other humans that fell down here? Is it a type of monster? Is it the _ghost_ of a monster? I mean, that creepy kid looked pretty normal besides the eyes. So maybe human ghosts look like they do in life while monster ghosts look like bed sheet ghosts? Wait a minute. Why is it lying down?' It was with that observation that she noticed a sound coming from it.

"zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..."

"It's... Sleeping?" She realized as she hears the specter's snoring.

'Ghost can sleep? Well, you are supposed to "rest in peace" when you die. But I never thought ghost could _literally_ go to sleep. Then again, I didn't really know much of _anything_ about what ghost could and couldn't do. As I was kinda on the fence about whether or not ghost were real before this whole underground adventure thing. I mean, I know most ghost videos on the internet are fake. But there is a few that are _very_ convincing. And I _know_ I herd a unexplained noise or 2 that was most _definitely_ not caused by ether my brother _or_ my parents back home. Pretty sure I seen something lurking around at night with the lights off too.'

While Tomoko was thinking about her debatable past encounters with the supernatural. The supposedly sleeping ghost before her slowly opened one eye halfway to look at her before quickly closing it shut again and resuming it's snoring. Completely unnoticed to her ('why hasn't she left yet?' *Sniff* '...and why does she smell?').

'But back on topic. How do I get around this ghost without waking it up? I really, _really_ don't want to know how a undead monster may fight. Especially with how low my health is right now. Maybe I can pass through it?' She lifted her foot and carefully pressed it against the ghost. Much to her disappointment (and the not-actually-sleeping ghost's annoyance), her foot did succeed in touching it.

'Well, there goes that plan. I guess it kinda makes sense. If it was intangible it would probably fall through the floor. At least it didn't wake up. Maybe if I just walk over it?' She pressed her hands against ether side of the narrow bit as she lifted her leg over the ghost. It seemed to be going well... Except for the fact that Tomoko's other leg was standing on a small bunch of leaves. Once her raised foot reached a certain threshold over the ghost. Her grounded foot slipped on the leaves. The action made her lose her grip on the narrow passage and resulted in her falling face first towards the ghost!

As she was falling forwards. A single thought passed through her head.

'This was inevitable. Wasn't it...'

She landed right on top of the ghost. Her face smashing against it's. It's eyes shot open in shock. Being quite surprised by the human's out of the blue action. In response, the ghost immediately turned intangible and floated up. Resulting in Tomoko falling down a second time into the pile of red leaves. The teen quickly sat up and scooted back on her behind. Fully aware that she had just awakened the spirit, she quickly turned her head every which way to see where it went, before finally looking up to see the ghost floating above her. It looked down at her with a sad, sorrowful look on it's face. Suddenly a familiar feeling overtook her as her cracked soul came out of her chest and the battle box appeared around the 2 of them.

'...Shit.'

Quickly getting up to a standing position. Tomoko prepared herself for the coming fight.

 **[Here comes Napstablook.]**

'Napstablook huh? That's a strange name.' Tomoko thought as the message gave her the spirit's name. Before turning her mind back to more pressing matters. 'I-I wonder what kind of attacks he's got. Hands of the dead that rise from the floor to attack? Smaller spirits that he summons to attack my soul directly? He is a ghost. So shouldn't his attacks be especially damaging to my soul?' *Gulp* 'What have I gotten myself into?' She thought with fright about the up coming battle.

 **[Napstablook - ATK 10 DEF 10 *This monster doesn't seem to have a sense of humor...]**

' _Double 10!?_ That's higher then _any_ of the other monsters I fought with down here so far. What _is_ he supposed to be? A boss? A mini boss? Did I just walk into a boss/mini boss fight with _low heath?_ I'm dead. I am _so_ dead.' Tomoko's dread increased farther as the message revealed the monster's stats to her. His flavor text wasn't that reassuring ether. As it implied he wasn't much for joking around.

"oh, I'm REAL funny." Napstablook suddenly said.

'Wait. Did he just... Read that message too?'

Tomoko didn't didn't have much time to think about if other creatures besides her can read those messages in her mind. As Napstablook started doing something that caught her by surprise. 'Is he... _Crying?_ '

Indeed. Napstablook seemed to be crying large, over sized tears from his eyes. These tears, after leaving his eyes, started raining down on the ground below him. Some spreading out a bit before hitting the ground. One of the tears hit her shoulder. She looked to it. At first not thinking much of it. Until she noticed steam and a sizzling sound coming from it. She then noticed the clothing seemed to be _dissolving_ before a sudden burning pain started coming from her shoulder. Tomoko jumped and started grabbing the burning spot as she let out small shrieks of pain. She then felt a familiar pain in her chest and noticed her soul started flashing. Becoming a little more cracked then it was before. She then made it a priority to dodge the other tears to the best of her abilities.

' _Acid tears!?_ Not what I was expecting. But no less _terrifying._ ' She thought as she noticed the ground the tears landed on also seemed to be melting and steaming.

 **[Napstablook is wishing they weren't here.]**

' _That makes_ _ **2**_ _of us!'_

Eventually, Napstablook stopped crying. Allowing Tomoko a chance to do something.

'Okay. How do I pacify this guy? Well, he's crying. So he's clearly upset about something. Maybe about me landing on him? Doesn't seem like something worth crying over. Unless it really hurt. But isn't he a ghost? I thought ghost can't be hurt by physical means. Whatever. I guess it's worth going with that right now.' Tomoko stood there. Thinking about what could be bothering the ghost.

Finally deciding on what to do, Tomoko looked up to Napstablook and began to speak in a nervous, shaky voice. "H-hay. Um. S-sorry about l-landing on you. A-and waking you up. It w-was an ac-accident. I-I was, um, j-just trying to g-get around you wi-without b-bothering you."

Napstablook widened his eyes a little. Surprised that the human went to such lengths to not be a bother to _him._ "...it's okay. it was my fault really. i shouldn't have been sleeping there anyway."

 **[Napstablook looks just a little bit better.]**

And true to the message, Napstablook did look slightly happier then he did a while ago. His mouth turned into the slightest shadow of a grin.

Tomoko was quite glad at first. Being relieved about how easy it was to pacify the spirit. That was until she noticed the battle box was still out. As well as noticed that Napstablook started crying again.

'Of course it wouldn't be that easy.' Tomoko began to dodge the tears again. Noting how much harder it was compared to the past monsters she faced. 'Well, he did have higher stats then the others.' After a while of dodging. The "Attack" finished.

Tomoko then went to thinking about what else she could do to get out of this. 'Maybe if I gave him a gift? Like one of the candies!' Tomoko reached into her pocket to grab a piece of the monster candy she got a while back. Once she found the piece, she held it up to the ghost floating above her.

"H-hay! Would y-you like so-some candy..." Tomoko said in a shaky voice. A rather creepy grin was plastered on her face as she looked at Napstablook.

'Don't say it like That! You sounds like you're trying to lure him into the back of a white van!'

Thankfully, the creepy way she offered it to him in seemed to have gone over his head ('Maybe it had something to do with him being a ghost?'). He looked down to the piece of candy. Then looked to the side before saying. "Thanks. But i already had gotten a piece of candy here today. i appreciate the offer though."

 **[Your offer of candy seems to have improved Napstablook's mood again.]**

Tomoko was a bit disappointing that didn't work. But was also a bit glad her actions was having _some_ effect on him at least. Knowing he was going to attack again, Tomoko readied herself to dodge the tears. However, she wasn't prepared for what actually happened. Instead of tears, a ghostly message appeared in the air before her.

[REALLY NOT FEELING UP TO IT RIGHT NOW. SORRY.]

She just stood there staring at the massage. Not quite sure what to make of it. It gave off a strange, otherworldly smell that she had never actually smelled before ('What _is_ that? Is this what ectoplasm smells like?'). The message floated there for a while before finally disappearing. Realizing Napstablook functionally gave up his turn to attack, Tomoko began to gain more confidence that she could actually make it through this.

'I'm actually getting through to him. I may come out of this alive! But what else could I do? Well, he still seems depressed about something. Maybe if I just... Just ask?' The thought made Tomoko feel uncomfortable. She isn't used to asking what other people's problems were. Hell, she isn't used to talking to other people period. It was something that was way outside her comfort zone. But, as her short time down here in the underground has shown. She's needs to start being more social if she wants to leave here alive. So, she gathered her determination, and prepared to do what was the most difficult thing she has ever done. Ask someone about their problems.

"E-e-excuse m-me." She began. Already sweating and blushing profusely. "B-but... Are y-you al-alright? Y-yo-you s-seem..." ('I really should of thought about how I'll word this better.') "K-kind of s-s-sad ab-b-bout s-someth-thing."

By the time she finished her sentence, her face was beet red and drenched in sweat. Asking someone else about their issues is something that _really_ took a drain on her emotional and mental state.

Napstablook was taken aback by the human's question. He couldn't even remember the last time someone asked him what's wrong.

"...it's nothing too important really. i kind of been this way for a long time. all the people that i use to know have left to do their own thing. and I don't have anyone else to talk to anymore. i'm not mad. i'm happy most of them are living their own dreams. i just... feel lonely is all." Napstablook told her in a defeated tone.

Tomoko couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy towards the ghost. Knowing what it feels like not having anyone to talk to. But more importantly, she now knows what she needs to do to make him happy (And by extension, end this fight). After channeling the last of her mental stamina, she then prepared to ask one more thing of Napstablook.

"Um, i-if you d-don't mind m-me asking. W-w-would I d-do? I mean, w-would you l-li-like t-to, um, h-hang ou-out with me f-for a wh-while? I o-only really h-had one per-person help m-me out here a-and I d-don't know wh-where s-she went. It would b-be nice to h-have some-someone else H-help me th-through h-here." Tomoko nervously asked Napstablook. Herself constantly avoiding eye contact and blushing heavily the whole time out of embarrassment. "S-so, what d-do you say?"

"...you really want to hang out with me?" Napstablook lowered himself to the ground as he asked that. Stopping when he was about eye level with Tomoko. It was the first time in a long time someone asked him if he wanted to hang out.

"Y-yea! I c-could really u-use some help. A-and besides, i-it might b-be fun..." Tomoko grabbed her left arm and looked to the side as she said that. Still quite flustered about doing something so bold for her. Though on the inside, she was also jumping for joy that it actually worked.

"thank you... hay. do you want to see a trick?" Napstablook suddenly asked her out of the blue.

"W-what is it?" Tomoko asked. Being rather unsure of what kind of "trick" the ghost was planning.

"let me try..." Suddenly, Napstablook started crying again. At first Tomoko stepped away nervously. Aware of his tear's acidic properties. That was until they started falling _up_ instead of down and began to collect right above his head. She was a bit unsure of what was going on until she noticed the shape they where forming into. A rather stylish top hat! "i call it "dapper blook". do you like it..."

 **[Napstablook eagerly awaits your response.]**

Tomoko was quite surprised that he could do something like that with his tears. ('Then again, he _is_ a ghost.') It was a admittedly neat trick. And not wanting to disappoint her newly made friend, she gave a honest response. "T-that's actually p-pretty cool!"

"oh gee..." Napstablook looked pretty touched be Tomoko's response. Even shedding a tear hit the ground with a sizzle.

Suddenly, Tomoko's soul returned to her body and the battle box disappeared around her. She also noticed that a victory message didn't appear in her head this time.

"i usually come to the ruins because there's nobody around... but today i met somebody nice... ... oh, i'm rambling again. i'll get out of your way." Napstablook's comment made Tomoko blush quite a bit. Not use to being called pleasant things like that. True to his word, Napstablook moved to the side. Phasing into the wall a bit as he did so. Allowing Tomoko to pass ('Couldn't he just turn intangible and let me walk through him?').

"my name is Napstablook by the way... you wouldn't mind if i asked for your's. would you?" She already knew his name thanks to the messages. But thought it was polite that he introduced himself formally anyway. So she only thought it was fair to obliged his request.

"M-my name i-is Tomoko. T-Tomoko Kuroki."

"tomoko. that's a nice name. oh... you should probably eat that monster candy by the way. your soul looks quite low on HP." Napstablook told Tomoko. Showing some concern for his new found friend.

"O-okay... Wait. These... Are health items?" She asked Napstablook. Now just realizing what he just said.

"yea... you eat them and they heal your soul. why do you ask? what did you thought they do?" He asked Tomoko.

Said teen started sweating and blushing again now that she realized the candy's actual function. As well as how dumb she probably looked after she first ate one.

"U-um. Uuhhh. I th-thought they w-where just n-normal candy. Heh heh..." Tomoko lied. Not wanting to look like an idiot in front of her new friend.

'S-so they don't give you magical powers, huh. So I was messing around and getting hurt for nothing...' To say she was embarrassed about how much time and health she was wasting trying to practice her "magical powers" was a understatement.

"also, if you don't mind me asking... what's that smell?" Napstablook's next question snapped her out of her thoughts.

"What smell?"

"well, i don't want to sound rude. especially to a new friend. but you kind of smell like, i don't know, ammonia? why is that? it's quite strong."

At first Tomoko wasn't sure what he was talking about. That is until she smelled herself and noticed the smell as well. Then, she _remembered._

'Oh, yea... I, wet myself. Back at my encounter with Flowey... Heh. Guess I forgot about it in my rush to get away from him a second time and got used to the smell. Wait. All those other monsters. The way they acted around me. Did they? Oh no...' Tomoko paled as she looked down at her pants. Although it was drier now, there was still a noticeable wet spot on her crotch. The knowledge that she was walking around the ruins _smelling like piss! With a wet spot on her crotch!_ Multiplied her already intense feeling of embarrassment a thousandfold. She was practically on the verge of a mental breakdown! Her blood red face, profuse sweating, strained smile, and small drops of tears forming in her eyes made Napstablook feel quite worried that he may have said something wrong.

"um, tomoko. are you okay?" He asked in concern for his new found friend.

"I-I-I'm fine! J-j-just d-did-dn't no-notice i-i-is all. A-as f-for the s-s-smell, i-it's a l-long story... J-j-just kn-know I need a s-sh-sho-shower a-as soon a-as p-p-poss-s-sable." Napstablook noticed that she seemed to be stuttering more then she was earlier. But decided not to mention it.

None the less. Tomoko did her best to straighten herself out and maintain what little dignity she had left. With her new friend in tow, she prepared herself to continue her journey through the underground. Now more determined then ever to find Toriel again. If only to use her shower...

* * *

 **Congratulations Tomoko! You just got your first party member! Also, considering that I manage to upload this one on time. Let try and see if we can upload _2_ _chapters_** **by the end of next month! Ambitious? Maybe. But hay! A guy can dream, can't he?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Damn. It's been what, a year since I last updated? That's way to long to go without an update. The only excuse I can give you is that 2017 was a hard year for me. I'll gloss over the details, just know that a lot happened. Some bad family problems, Hurricane Irma (I live in Florida, for those unaware), more family problems, catching the flu, and preparing to move into a new house. I can't promise to be more consistent with my updates. What with moving and all. But I'm going to try at least. Now without farther delay. here's the chapter you all been waiting over a year for.**

* * *

 **CH.6**

 **Because I'm not popular, I'll get a traveling companion!**

"S-so, um. Where d-do we go f-from here?"

Tomoko asked Napstablook while she stood in the middle of the other half of the room. Now that her fight with him was over, she could clearly study the section past the narrow bit. Although there was nothing impressive about the room itself. She does note that there are 2 different doorways. Thus, making her a bit unsure which way to go.

"well, the doorway to the left goes further into the ruins. while the one in front of us leads to the spider bake sale." Napstablook answered her question.

"S-spider... Bake sale?" She asked. A little perplexed by what a spider bake sale is. (What. Do they sale spider themed goods or something?')

'yea... it's ran by all the spiders here in the ruins. they do it to raise money. though i don't know what they are raising that money for." He explained to her. She meanwhile was already jumping to conclusions about it.

' _Spiders!?_ Like, _monster spiders?_ Are they like the other monsters here? Will they attack me like all the other here do? What do they use to make their pastries? What if they use _other monsters_ as ingredients in them? What if they want to use _me_ as an ingredient in them? Wait. Calm down. From the way Napstablook was talking about them, he doesn't seem that worried. But then again, he _is_ a ghost. It isn't like they could hurt him. But he also said they sale their goods to raise money. Which to me would mean they get along with the other monsters here well. But there is still the fact that I'm a human. They might attack me like the other monsters here do-' "Tomoko?"

Tomoko snapped out of her thoughts by Napstablook calling her name. She looked over to him before inquiring what he wants. "Um. Yes?"

"nothing... it's just that you've been standing there for a while now just staring vacantly into space and i was getting worried. sorry if i was bothering you..." He told her as he looked off to the side sheepishly.

"No no. I-it's okay. Um, can I a-ask a question?"

"go ahead..."

"Are the s-spiders at the spider bake sale... D-dangerous?"

'no... there harmless. they just want money for whatever it is they are raising it for. i don't think they even could hurt you." His answer relaxed Tomoko a bit. Now glad that there is no real risk to visiting them. Which brought up her next question...

"U-um. Is it o-okay if you, um, g-go with me t-to visit them?" She asked. Even with Napstablook words confirming that nothing dangerous was in there, she still didn't want to take the risk. Besides, maybe him being a ghost means he has a different idea of what's dangerous and what's not.

"sure... after all, you did say you would hang out with me. right?" He replied as he floated up beside her.

"O-oh yea. I did, didn't I. S-so, let's go... Heheh." And with that, they both walked (or floated in Napstablooks case) over to the doorway in front of them.

The room they walked into was small and rather unimpressive. Just a square with a sign in the middle and some spider webs on the walls. There weren't even any giant monster spiders like Tomoko first thought ('Maybe we walked in while they were out?'). She walked over to the sign to read its content. Hoping it had a clue about where the spiders are.

[ _Spider Bake Sale. All proceeds go to real spiders._ ]

A bit disappointed that it didn't have the information she wanted, she turned to Napstablook to ask if they came at a wrong time. That was until she took a glimpse at the spider webs and noticed something. She went to take a closer look at them. And sure enough, there were spiders crawling on them. To her surprise, they looked no different from the spiders she would find on the surface. After studying the webs more, she noticed that there were gold coins like the ones she had collected down here. ('Seriously? They leave their money out in the open like that? That's just begging for some asshole to come along and steal it').

Still unsure that these where the spiders Napstablook was talking about, she turns to him for confirmation. "A-are these the spiders?".

"yea... just drop the listed amount of gold coins on the web and they'll give you some of their baked goods." After getting that these were in fact the spiders he was talking about, she looks back at the webs to see what he was talking about when he said, "listed amount".

Sure enough, after taking a closer look, she could read what looks like a price written onto the web itself in thicker spider silk.

[ _7 G for 1 donut._ ]

After digging through her pockets to find all the gold she had. ('I really should have put them all in the same pocket.'), she came to realize that she only had 4 G ('Guess that means no donut for me then...'). She looked at the spiders sadly as her stomach growled. Now realizing how hungry she was.

Suddenly, Napstablook floated up beside her with 3 coins sitting on an extension of his body that she guessed was his hand. "here... you seem hungry. and with how little hp your soul has, you'll need all the health you could get. which reminds me. you should eat that monster candy while we wait for the food to arrive."

She blushed heavily as they both dropped the money onto the web. She watched as the spiders collected the coins and tied them securely to the web with their silk. They then began to retreat into a hole in the wall connected to their web. Presumably where they keep their baked goods.

As she waits for the donut to come, she began to think back to her battle with Napstablook. Specifically, about how she ended it. 'I still can't believe I actually did that. Just straight up asked someone if they would like to hang out with me. But more than that. I can't believe how... Easy it was. Well, it wasn't _that_ easy. It took a HUGE chunk of my mental stamina to do that. But still, all it took was a few nice words, and now I have friend traveling with me. Was it always that simple? That all I had to do to get people to spend time with me, was to just walk up and ask?'

While she ponders this, she fished the monster candy out of her pocket and opened it up. Putting the piece in her mouth while she put the wrapper back into her pocket. She again took note of its "Non-licorice" flavor before swallowing it. She once again felt a pleasant feeling surge through her body as she did so, now knowing that what it was doing was healing her. Most of her aches, pains, and fatigue went away. Granted, she still hurt in some places, but she felt better all the same. Hopefully the donut would improve on that.

'...No. It can't be! The reason for my unpopularity couldn't be something as simple as that. Napstablook was a lonely guy that just really wanted to have someone, _anyone_ to talk to. If I tried that on anyone from _my_ school, they would most likely just laugh, or sneer, or just give me a weird look and walk away like the bitches and assholes they are! Monster society is probably just different from human society is all. I shouldn't be thinking the ways they treat each other here is in _anyway_ like how people treat each other on the surface.' After thinking of an excuse for why what she did with Napstablook wouldn't work back home, Tomoko looked down to see that the spiders have come back carrying the donut she just paid for. It looked rather tasty. It was a light brown color and covered in chocolate and sprinkles. It also had little black spots spread all over it ('Maybe some kind of special ingredient?').

She carefully picked up the donut and took a bite. It tasted incredibly delicious! Though it did have a bit of crunchiness in it ('Maybe it's that special ingredient.'). As she swallowed it, she once again felt a pleasant wave pass through her body as the rest of her aches disappeared.

"does it taste good?" Napstablook asked as they walked (and floated) out of the room.

"Y-yah! It's p-pretty good. It also m-made me feel better." Tomoko said between bites. Now feeling more comfortable with Napstablooks presence.

Once they exited the spider bake sale room, they went over to the other doorway. The one that Napstablook said went further into the ruins. Tomoko finishing the last of her donut as they go. The next room they walked into didn't have much in it that was noteworthy. It was rectangular and stretches to the right. A path of lighter lavender stone stretched forward from the doorway they came from before making a sharp right turn. A sign was planted in the ground in front of the turn. And 3 froggits stood at the path's left as it went through the room.

Curious about what the sign says, Tomoko walked down the path towards it with napstablook by her side. She licked the remainder of the donut from her fingers as she approached. 'Maybe it's a hint to some hidden puzzle in here? This room seems a bit suspiciously large for it to have nothing but a sign and 3... What were those things called again? Froggits?'

[ _Did you miss it? Spider Bake sale down and to the right. Come eat food made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders!_ ]

'Oh. Just advertisement for the- Wait...' Tomoko paused from licking what was left of the donut from her fingers. Her pinky planted in her mouth as she leaned forward to reread the sign. 'Made... By spiders, for spiders... Of spiders...'

She stood there for a while. Pinky still in her mouth. Going over what the sign just said. Finally, she removed the finger from her mouth, some of the glaze and chocolate still clinging to it. She looked at it very closely. Inspecting it.

"tomoko... is something wrong?" Napstablook asked. Feeling concerned for his new friend after noticing her sudden change after reading the sign.

Said teen meanwhile was looking intently at her pinky. It was then that she noticed something. She didn't see it at first do to it blending in with the dark color of the chocolate, but now that she was paying attention to it she could see it. On the smudge of chocolate on her pinky finger, was what looked like a spider's leg.

As she stared at it, her eyes slowly morphed into spirals. Her face began to pale before turning a shade of green. Her body started shaking. And a nauseating feeling started to rise from her stomach.

"tomoko?" Napstablook called out to her again as he notices that her complexion started to worsen. He was now feeling quite worried about her.

"URK!" suddenly with a jerk. Tomoko's cheeks inflated as her stomach began upheaving its content. She quickly started to look around rapidly, before placing her eyes on the upper left corner of the room. She quickly sprinted towards it. Slamming her hands against the wall stop herself as well as support her as she bent down. The sudden action caused the 3 froggits in the room to look at her. Curious about what the human was doing suddenly. Napstablook meanwhile looked on from where he was. Worried about what was wrong with his friend. Until finally...

"BEGULEH!" Tomoko Violently vomited in the corner. Both the sound of it and the _view_ of it falling from between her legs made that _very_ clear to everyone in the room. The 3 froggits opened their eyes wide in shock at the sight while Napstablook watched Tomoko with a look that was between disgust and concern. The 3 froggits, deciding to avoid the apparently ill human, quickly making their way towards the doorway on the far-right side of the room. Napstablook meanwhile was slowly floating towards Tomoko until he was right beside her. Ready to help her in whatever way he can once she's... Finished.

"Uuuuuggghhhhhh." Tomoko groaned. Finally finished regurgitating her stomach content. She stepped away from the wall. Wobbling a bit as she did so. Napstablook was quick to offer her support using 2 extended portion of his body that could be called "arms".

"tomoko! are you okay?" The ghost asked her in worry. What caused her to become so ill like this? Was it something in the donut?

"I'm... I'm f-fine, now." Tomoko mumbled as she staggers a bit. Still looking a bit green.

After waiting a while for her to regain her Barings, the 2 slowly started walking back to the path. Ready to leave the room like the 3 froggits that were here before. Just as they were about to leave, they both were startled by a ringing noise coming from Tomoko's pocket. She groggily fishes the guilty device out. And stares at it in exasperation.

'Of all the times you could call me... I _DON'T_ want to deal with this right now!' Despite that thought. Tomoko answered the phone. Already aggravated when she hears Toriels voice.

"Hello?"

" _Yes!?_ " The irate teen responded. Letting her exasperation seep into her voice.

"Oh my! Did I call at a bad time? Is something wrong?" Toriel asked. Quickly noting the tone in the teen's voice.

Realizing what she said, or specifically, how she said it. Tomoko began to backpaddle. "Eh, no. It's not. I just, um." ('What should I tell her? I can't tell her what just happened. Not only will she'll realize that I left, but she will also rush towards me and start babying me again.') The teen began to think. "I-I just have... A b-bit of a tummy ache is all." ('Well, it isn't _exactly_ a lie.')

"Oh. Is it bad? Do you need me come back to you right now? I believe I have some medicine for something like that around my home." Toriel responded. Concern notable in her voice. This was exactly what Tomoko was trying to avoid!

"W-wait! No. It's n-not that bad. It's k-kind of already passing right now. Y-you don't need to hurry yourself back h-here for my sake. S-so, um. What was it y-you called me f-for?" Tomoko told her. Hoping to calm her down and change the subject.

"Oh. Well, if you insist. I will leave it alone for now. I mainly called to tell you that I just realized it has been a while since I have cleaned up. I was not expecting to have company so soon. There are probably a lot of things lying about here and there. You can pick them up, but do not carry more than you need. Someday you might see something you really like. You will want to leave room in your pockets for that." She told Tomoko. Deciding to let her ailment go. For now.

"Um, okay. I'll keep note of that." And after that last exchange, Toriel hung up.

'What was that about? Sounds like some sort of hint in a video game.' Tomoko thought as she and Napstablook made their way out of the room.

* * *

Tomoko was quite irritable by the time they made it to the next room. Not only did she found herself to be even _more_ hungry after her stomach calmed down, but it turned out that she _also_ got some vomit on her hoodie as well.

'As if the giant piss stain on my crotch wasn't embarrassing enough. _Now_ I have a puke stain on my chest as well! Toriel better have a washing machine at her house. Or at least a new pair of clothes I could barrow.' The teen thought irritably as she and her ghost companion walk into the next room.

Speaking of said companion. Napstablook quietly floated behind Tomoko when they made their way into the room. He was silent since the incident in the last room. Believing it best to not say a word as he watched Tomoko's aggravation grew as she recovered from her mystery illness. He understood why of course. Considering the state she is in now combined with the fact she was probably hungry after losing her lunch like that. He just saw fit to be quiet as to not irritate her more.

Back to Tomoko, she began to study the new room they were in. The room was long and rectangular. Like the last room. Unlike the last room however there were 6 darkened and sagging sections of floor right up against the walls, 3 on each side of the room. However only the very middle part of each of them was cracked. ('Great... More of those cracked floor "puzzles".') To confirm her fears, there were 3 chutes along the right wall in between the darkened patches of floor. Though they were wider than the chute in the past. At the end of the room was a doorway blocked by moving spikes. And to her left, a small manuscript.

'Alright... Let's read what useless hint it has and get this over with.' Tomoko thought as she walked over to read the manuscript.

[ _There is just one switch._ ]

"Huh. Well that should make this simpler." Tomoko said as Napstablook floated up beside her. Reading the clue himself.

"so... we should split up and look for the switch. right?" Napstablook suggested.

"Y-yea. I guess. Wait. Shouldn't you a-already know where the switch is. I mean. Y-you've been through here b-before. Right?" Tomoko question as she looks towards Napstablook.

"not really... though i have been through here before, i usually just pass through everything. i'm a ghost, remember?" He explained.

"O-oh. Yea. Right... S-sorry, I forgot about th-that..." The teen responded sheepishly.

"it's okay... you're not the first." And with that, the two split up to see which breakable floor had the switch underneath it.

Tomoko walked up to one of the spots in the corner of the room. " *Sigh* Here goes nothin-" "gaaahhh!" *CRASH*

Tomoko immediately looked behind her after hearing the scream. Noticing a hole in the middle dark spot at the wall of the room behind her. 'Was that... Napstablook?'

Quickly running over to it, she peers down into it only to see nothing "N-napstablook?" She called out into it. Only to hear nothing in return. Deciding there wasn't much else she could do, she steeled her nerves and hesitantly jumps into the hole.

"GAAAAHHHH!" She screamed before landing in a pile of red leaves. Now finding out that if she properly prepares for it, the whole ordeal wasn't really that bad. Or she was getting used to it...

Putting that aside, she gets up and looks around. Only to look down and find Napstablook lying right next to her.

"Um, Napstablook?" She called to him. hoping he would respond. ('He's a ghost. That fall really shouldn't hurt him. Right?')

"i fell down the hole... now i can't get up... go on without me..." The downed ghost told her in a somber, weak tone of voice.

"Um. C-can't you just, um, fly? Y-you're a ghost after all. Right?" She asked him.

Beat.

"oh yea... right... i forgot about that." And with those words, he floated up. "it's like i said earlier. you're not the first to forget about my abilities... i'll go look in the other holes now."

Napstablook then floated up and back to the floor above. Tomoko meanwhile walked to the staircase that should go back up to one of the chutes.

'How did he even break a hole in the floor in the first place? I thought he floated all the time.' She thought as she climbed the stairs. Thinking about a mystery that would probably never be solved.

Once she made it back up, she then started to think about which hole she should start with. She decided to go with the one she was planning on going on first. After preparing herself again, she jumped on the cracked part and it instantly collapsed underneath her. She held her tongue as she fell. Deciding to have at least _some_ dignity as she fell this time. Once again, she landed in a pile of red leaves. ('Seriously. Where are they _coming from!?_ ') As she gets up however, she sees 3 things that are looking straight towards her. Monsters.

"Uh oh..." She mutters as her soul comes out and the battle box makes its reappearance.

 **[Migosp crawled up close!]**

As she gets up, she studies each of the monsters to see what she is up against. Two of them were moldsmals. However, it was the one in the middle that caught her attention the most.

Assuming its name is migosp judging from the message. It was a short brown bug-like monster. It had an oval shaped body that stood on short legs and had arms with pincer-like hands at the end. Two antennae came out of its head. It's brows where pressed forward in an angry expression. And its mouth was contorted into a toothy scowl with two insect-like mandibles at the corners. Overall, it seemed angry about something.

 **[MIGOSP - ATK 7 DEF 5 *It seems evil, but it's just with the wrong crowd...]**

"Uhhhh, NAPSTABLOOK?" She calls out. hoping her friend can hear her.

But, nobody came. Now knowing she must fight on her own (again), she gets herself ready to dodge the soon to come attacks.

"FILTHY SINGLE MINDER!" *Sniff* "REALLY FILTHY!" The migosp shouted as he raises his arms dramatically in the air. A swarm of flying cockroaches materialize from behind him and flew out as he did so. ('Ugh. Cockroaches...')

The cockroaches flew straight towards the walls of the battle box, crawled along them until they were on either side of her, then jumped off and flew towards her. The moldsmals meanwhile were shooting the zigzagging slime balls that she was more familiar with. Tomoko jumped away when the cockroaches flew at her. Only to land in the path of a slime ball that hit her in the leg. Putting it and her chest in pain as her soul cracks and flashes. Thankfully, she quickly recovered. And managed to dodge the others slime balls that fallowed. She also noted that the cockroaches don't fly through the center of the battle box for some reason. Only around the left and right side. She decided not to question it though. As it only made them easier to dodge. As it wasn't that easy to do to begin with due to the room's small size. Eventually, the assault stopped.

'Okay. I'll deal with the moldsmals first since I know how to pacify them. After that I'll figure out how to calm down this "migosp".' Settling on a plan of action, she began to wiggle her hips side to side rhythmically. 'It worked before. Hopefully it'll work this time too.'

To her relief, the moldsmal on the left started to wiggle in sync with her.

 **[You wiggle your hips. Moldsmal wiggles back. What a meaningful conversation!]**

'Yes! it's working!' She thought as she continued to wiggle. Blushing red as she still found it embarrassing for some reason.

Eventually, the other moldsmal started wiggling to. It was at this time that Napstablook came in through the wall. His sudden appearance startled Tomoko. Almost making her lose her rhythm. She recovered however.

"tomoko... i heard you called and began to- what are you doing?" Napstablook said. Now taking notice of Tomoko's actions.

'So, he DID hear me. What took him so long though?' "Um. I-I'm in the middle of a b-battle right now." Tomoko told him. Still shaking her hips.

"a battle?" Napstablook looked around to see the battle box, her soul, and 3 monsters in front of her. Including the 2 that were wiggling in sync with his friend.

Upon seeing what they are. He looked back to Tomoko with a... Blue blush on his face?

"tomoko! i-i didn't take you for the type of person to be that forward with people. much less two..." He said to her with a look on his face that looked like he just walked in on something inappropriate.

'Forward? What is he...' "W-what are you talking about?" She asked him as her shaking hips slowed down.

"you do know what that means, well, to them..." He says as he motions to the moldsmals. "right?"

"...W-what?" She responds as her wiggling slows to a stop. What _was_ she saying to them by doing that?

"well. um, you see. that's how they..." He pauses to choose his words. "...court each other."

"Court?" She asks.

"you know... flirt?"

Beat.

For a moment, Tomoko just stood there to let it sink in. Until finally it hits her. She was flirting with slime monsters. Her pupils began to dilate, her face turns blood red, and mouth hung wide open.

'I-I was... Flirting with them. the whole time...' She thought before looking at the 2 monsters in front of her. 'Why are _both_ shaking!? Are they into _that_ sort of thing? Actually, the less I think about it the better...'

Suddenly. The 2 moldsmals started to move their way over to her. Wiggling the whole way. Until they were both right up against her legs.

"H-h-h-hay... I-I think th-there is a b-bit of a m-misunderstanding here. Heh heh..." Tomoko tells them sheepishly as she looks down at the two gelatin-like monsters. Suddenly both moldsmals spit up a gold coin each at her feet. Before they both turn around and head towards the stairway out of the room. Right before leaving, one of the moldsmals stops at the doorway, (presumably) looks her way, and makes one last wiggle at her before leaving the room. Her newfound knowledge on what that meant made her blush heavily and feel like throwing up again.

The migosp meanwhile. Who was watching the spectacle the whole time in confusion. Looked at her and... Smiled?

"Hiya~" He says to her in a jolly, friendly voice.

Tomoko was taken aback by this. Not being sure on exactly how to handle it. She looks over to Napstablook in hopes of him having some advice on this monster.

"that's just a migosp... they're only really dangerous when they're with others. but by themselves, their actually pretty friendly." He tells her.

"Mm, cha cha cha!" Suddenly, the migosp started dancing. Seeming to not have a single care in the world.

Once he was finished, he walked up to Tomoko and held out a pincer with 4 gold coins on it.

"Here ya go! Sorry about that. I really got to stop hanging out with those guys. I tend to get like that when I'm around them." He says in a friendly tone. Tomoko takes the money hesitantly.

"U-um. Thank you..." She thanked the migosp awkwardly.

 **[YOU WON! You earned 0 EXP and 6 gold.]**

The battle box disappeared, and her soul returned to her body. The migosp did a polite bow and turned around towards the staircase. humming a catchy tune to himself.

"Glad that's over." Tomoko said as she bent down to collect the 2 coins the moldsmals left before making her way towards the staircase herself with Napstablook in tow... Before slipping and falling on the trail the moldsmals left. Napstablook rushing to her aid in response.

* * *

Tomoko rubbed her head as she slid out of the chute that returned her to the above floor. Napstablook fallowing close behind. Her head still throbbed a bit form banging against the floor in the room before. Napstablook floated up beside her and offered something to her.

"W-what's this for?" She asked as she took the object from his "hand". It was a faded and slightly tethered red ribbon.

"i found it lying on the ground in the room we just came from... is it not your?" He asked.

"No. Why would I have an old ribbon?" Tomoko replied as she examined the ribbon.

"oh... sorry. i thought you dropped it or something during your last battle." Napstablook said solemnly.

 **[Faded Ribbon. Armor DEF 3 *If you're cuter, monsters won't hit you as hard.]**

"Huh?" Tomoko was taken by surprise from the sudden appearance of the mystery message. Especially over something as mundane as an old ribbon.

"what is it? did i say something or..." Napstablook said. Thinking Tomoko was startled by him.

"N-no no. It's nothing." She told him as she began to think about what the message just said.

'Why would the message appear for something like a ribbon? And would wearing it really do much against monsters? Then again, Toriel did say that mercy was a virtue here. And some, well, _all_ the monsters (sans Flowey) did spare me after talking with them for a bit. So maybe making myself cuter would protect me a bit.' After thinking about it for a bit, Tomoko decided to tie the ribbon into her hair. Napstablook watched her, curious about what she was doing.

"W-well. What d-do you think?" Tomoko asked him nervously. The ribbon now tied into a small bow on the side of her head.

"it looks nice i guess... but why? didn't you say it wasn't yours?" Napstablook responded with a question of his own.

"W-well. I thought th-that monsters won't a-att-tack me if I-I was c-cuter l-looking." ('Oh God... That actually sounds a lot dumber when I actually say it out loud.') "Besides. I-it's just an old r-ribbon. Right?" She says to him as her anxiety increases.

"true... and i guess that does make a bit of sense when you say it like that." He replied as he gave it more thought.

'Well, it's nice to know someone else thinks this idea works.' Tomoko thought with relief before returning to the task at hand. "I'll t-try looking over there this time." She said as she pointed to a spot at another corner of the room.

"okay…" Napstablook nodded in understanding as he floated over to a spot at a different corner of the room. Tomoko walked over to the spot she pointed at. Stepping on it with much less hesitation then she did on the damaged floor tiles before and falling through it without uttering more than a sigh. It was honestly becoming more of a chore at this point. After getting up from the leaf pile she looked around to see if she can find a switch. No luck there. However, she did find what looked like an oversized carrot stuck in the ground.

'What's a carrot doing her? And a giant one at that. Did someone plant it here?' A rumble from her stomach reminded her of how hungry she is. '…Well, it's better than nothing. And hopefully whoever left it here wouldn't mind me taking it. I'm pretty sure they would understand if they knew the circumstances.'

She walked over to the carrot and began to pull it out of the ground. It was well rooted in there. Either that or it was just heavy. Suddenly it came out with a pop. Causing Tomoko to fall backwards onto the ground. When she looks back at the carrot, she was startled by what she sees. On the carrot, which was still half way into the ground, was what looked like the face of a grinning jack-o-lantern. The carrot then _jumped_ out of the ground and began to float in the air. Its leaves atop its head waving around in a creepy manner. It was here that Tomoko realized that the carrot was actually a monster. Her soul and the battle box appearing shortly after.

 **[Vegetoid came out of the earth!]**

"…Here we go." Tomoko groaned in resignation as she got up and prepared herself for the battle to come. 'These monsters just keep getting weirder.'

 **[VEGETOID – ATK 6 DEF 6 *Serving Size: 1 Monster. Not monitored by the USDA.]**

'What? Am I supposed to… _Eat_ it?' She was hungry. But eating a monster? That was a bit morbid even for _her._

"Farmed locally, very locally." The vegetoid said as its leaves start waving more violently as various vegetables started shooting out of them. Tomoko Jumped out of the way of the first vegetable, an ear of corn, to fly towards her ('Ha! This is easy.'). Just as she was going to jump out of the way of the next vegetable, a tomato, however, she was suddenly struck in the back by a painful force. Her soul flashed and cracked from the impact, telling her it was a bullet ('It can shoot bullets from behind me? That's not fair!'). The attack staggered her, resulting in the tomato nailing her in the face. Causing her more damage to her soul, as well as costing her what dignity she had left. It was when she barely rolled out of the way of a cucumber and watched it fly behind her did she realized what actually happened. The cucumber bounced off the wall of the battle box and started to fly back towards her. Forcing her to dodge it a second time and watch as it bounced of the opposite wall, though thankfully flying off in a different direction this time. She then looked around the battle box to see an unusual sight. All the vegetables shot out by the vegetoid were pinballing around her. Bouncing off the walls of the battle box when they collided with them ('Okay, maybe this won't be easy.'). She was forced back to her senses by another ear of corn flying at her followed by other vegetables. Forcing her to dodge the vegie onslaught non-stop (Not an easy task due to her face still being covered in tomato.). Thankfully, the vegetoid's attack ending not long after with all the vegetables disappearing and Tomoko succeeded in avoiding any more damage despite her impaired eyesight. Giving her a moment to think things through and clean her face.

'Okay. He's probably mad about me trying to eat him. So maybe if I apologize about it, all will be forgiven. I mean, it worked with the froggit.'

Having thought up a plan of action, she carefully approached the vegetoid to apologize for her mistake. "H-hay… Sorry a-about pulling you out of th-the ground like that. I-I was just-"

"Plants can't talk dummy!" The vegetoid interrupted her as it began to shoot more vegetables at her.

"Wha? B-but you just-" Tomoko couldn't finish her reply as the vegetables started to fly at her again.

Having a better idea what to expect this time, the teen didn't have as much problems dodging the vegetables this time. She was getting exhausted though.

*Pant* 'I need to finish this fast. All this fighting in the Ruins while on an empty stomach is tiring me out. Hell, I don't think I've _ever_ did this much physical activity in a single day in my life!' *GROWN* Suddenly, Tomoko keeled over clutching her stomach as a loud growl escaped from it. The hunger pains starting to zap away what little energy she had left. "Ugh. I'm sooooooo hungry!"

"Hungry you say?"

 **[You grabbed your stomach. Vegetoid offers a healthy meal.]**

Tomoko quickly looked up to the vegetoid. Realizing it herd her plea. She backed away slightly, afraid of what it has in store.

"Well then. Eat your greens." The vegetoid started up its attack again. Tomoko did her best to dodge the third assault from the vegetable monster. However due to her growing exhaustion and hunger, she was far more lethargic in her movements. She barely dodged some vegetables. Some even succeeding in hitting her limbs. Causing her soul to ache in pain as her body burned with exhaustion and hunger pains. The smell of steamed vegetables not helping the latter at all. Finally, in the middle of the attack, Tomoko fell to her knees as she clutched her stomach. Too hungry and tired to continue moving. It was here that the vegetoid summoned a vegetable that is different from the others before. It looked like a carrot. But it was completely green and gave off a similarly green glow. It fired the strange vegetable straight at her. Tomoko, who was too tired to move out of the way of the attack. Simply closed her eyes and braced for impact. However, instead of more pain like she was expecting, the green carrot bounced off when it collided with her and landed on the floor before her. She stared at it confused, before hesitantly reaching out and touching it. When it didn't hurt her on contact, she carefully picked it up. It felt like a normal carrot in her hands. Unsure about what to do about it, she looked back up to the vegetoid. Who seemed to be goading her to do something with it from the way it looked at her.

'Does he want me to… Eat it?'

She was quite confused about this. Why was it trying to feed her all of a sudden? It only made her more hesitant to eat it. An idea that was already unappealing to her Considering how it looked ('I already don't like most vegetables. Why would I eat a _glowing, magical_ one?'). However, a loud rumble from her stomach silenced her protests.

'Well, it's not like I have anything else to eat around here (Except for some monster candy.). And the message seemed to say it's healthy. Screw it, I'm hungry!' Listening to her stomach rather than her better judgment, Tomoko began to eat the carrot Much to the vegetoid's delight. If its cackling and smiling at the sight of Tomoko eating its carrot is any indication 'Ugh. What is his problem? Is this his fetish or something? Freak!'

To her surprise, not only did the carrot tasted good (for a vegetable, at least.), but it made her feel a bit better like the other food she has eaten here as well. Granted, it wasn't _much_. But did helped the pain a little bit.

Finally having the strength to stand up (abet weakly.). She slow walked to the vegetoid to thank it. Hoping she appeased it. "U-um. Thank y-you… For-"

"I told you! Plants can't talk dummy!"

'Um, aren't you talking right now? You know what, never mind. The sooner I solve this room's puzzle, the better.' She thought with annoyance at the undergrounds increasing weirdness.

That aside, the vegetoid floated up to her and with one of its leaves, pulled 4 gold coins from the bush on its head and gave them to Tomoko.

 **[YOU WON! You got 0 EXP and 4 gold.]**

The battle box disappeared and her soul returned to her body. The vegetoid floated over to the hole it came from and planted itself back in there. While waiting to regain her strength, A familiar specter suddenly floated through the wall and greeted Tomoko.

"Napstablook!" Tomoko said upon seeing him. Surprised but happy to see a friendly face. "W-what is it? Did you find the s-switch?"

"yes… i'm here to guide you to it. are you alright?" He told her while also showing concern for her current state.

"Yea. J-just got in a fight with another monster is all." She told him sheepishly. "Let's l-leave here and go to it. I'm tired o-of this place."

And the two of them made their way to the stairway out of the chamber. Tomoko making sure to give the planted vegetoid a wide berth.

* * *

As she slid out of the chute, Tomoko thought back to her fight with the vegetoid. 'I'm surprised that guy's attacks didn't do as much damage as I thought it would. The message did say that it's attack was 6 after all. My soul didn't look that cracked. Maybe this ribbon _does_ increase my defense.'

As she contemplated this, Napstablook led her to the spot in the upper middle part of the room.

"just step on this one. The room with the switch is below it…"

After preparing herself for a bit, she stepped on the dark spot on the floor.

'Please let this be the last time I need to do this…'

The floor gave way beneath her. As she fell, she just shut her eyes and scrunched her face in discomfort. Waiting for the ordeal to be over. Finally, she landed in a pile of red leaves. She quickly got up and cleaned herself up a bit before looking around the room. Spotting Napstablook floating down from above.

"it's over here…" He floated over to a golden switch on the wall. Pointing at it with his "arm".

"T-this is it? Why didn't y-you pull it w-when you found it?" she asked as she walked up to it.

"sorry… i just thought that you would want to do it."

"Do what?"

"complete the puzzle…" He answered.

'Why would anyone _want_ to go through this hell!?' She thought but didn't say. Not wanting to scare away her new friend.

After that, she finally pulled the switch. A loud clanking noise sounded from above. Quickly running up the stairway to the upper room, she almost went flying out of the chute at speed she was going. Napstablook fallowing close behind. She looks to the doorway that was blocked by the spike trap to find that the spikes have sunken into the ground. Opening the path.

"Finally!" She shouted with glee. Glad to leave the room she came to hate.

She ran towards the doorway. Disregarding everything else around her as she did so. Napstablook fallowing quickly behind her in worry.

"tomoko wait! y-you're going to hurt yourself running like-" Napstablook's interrupted his own sentence when Tomoko, who was too busy paying attention to what Napstablook was trying to tell her, crashed into something at the doorway.

"-that…" Napstablook finished his sentence as he floated up beside a fallen Tomoko. She meanwhile looked up to see what it was that she collided with.

"You rude little snipe!"

Standing before her was a monster with a red round body. A single large eye with a toothy mouth underneath made up a face that covered the entire front half of it. A pair of small legs came out from underneath it while a pair of arms with small hands came from its sides. Finally, a pair of devil-like horns came out of the top of it.

In all honesty, it was the most generic rpg monster looking monster she has encountered so far.

As the battle box appeared and her soul came out, she also noticed that there were two other monsters beside it. on its left was a vegetoid, and on its right, a migosp.

 **[Loox and co. decided to pick on you!]**

As she got up, she examined the "loox". Hoping the messages will give her some useful advice.

 **[LOOX – ATK 6 DEF 6** ***Don't pick on him. Family name: Eyewalker.]**

'Okay, don't pick on him, Got it. But why would I do that in the first place though? These monsters will fight me over anything and I have no means of fighting back.' She thought as she looked the loox over once more.

"Please don't pick on me." The loox said in a somewhat high-pitched, gravelly voice. Suddenly, chains of transparent magical bubbles shot out of its eyes and traveled out in wavy, worm-like motions around the battle box. When they flew out, they circled around and flew back in. Tomoko ducked and weaved to avoid them while Napstablook let them pass through him harmlessly.

"Contains vitamin A." "OBAY THE OVERMIND!" The vegetoid and the migosp shouted as they to join the fray. Cockroaches flew out from behind the migosp and along the walls while the vegetoid fires carrots as if they were missiles straight at Tomoko and Napstablook. The awkward teen was having an incredibly hard time dodging the bullets while Napstablook barely moved. Relying on his ghostly intangibility to avoid harm.

'Holy shit! Can't you guys lighten up a bit!?' Tomoko thought as she ducked and weaved frantically around the bullets. Even getting hit a few times despite her efforts. Until she tripped over her own feet and fell to the floor. She quickly looked up to see several carrots flying straight at her. Having no way of dodging them, she just put her arms up and braced for impact. Only for it to never come. They were intercepted by acidic tears that dissolved them away. She looked to the side to see Napstablook.

"i thought you could use some help…" he told her as she got up.

'Oh yea! I forgot that Napstablook was here. Heh, I actually have a party member to help me out. Maybe he knows what to do to calm these guys down. Or even fight them for me!'

"Th-thanks. Um. C-could you help me f-fight these guys? I'm k-kinda defenseless here." She asks him as she continues to dodge attacks.

"i don't know about fighting them. i'm not much of a fighter…" He says as he looks to the side sheepishly. "but i can help you spare them. vegetoids just want to feed other people their vegetables. and looxs just don't want to be picked on is all…"

'Not what I was hoping for. But it'll do. And I _knew_ that carrot monster had some kind of fetish! Wait.'

"B-but why is it so angry at me? The l-loox I mean. I didn't d-do anything to it!" She asks him as the monster's attack finishes.

"maybe because you ran into it? he probably thinks you did it on purpose..."

"B-but I didn't. It was a-an accident!"

"then explain it to him. i'm sure he will understand."

After talking with Napstablook, she approaches the loox. Hoping that the specter's idea will work.

"What an eyesore." *sniff* "And an nosesore too! Good god you stink." Tomoko flinched at the insult. Crying a little as his companions laughed at it. But Tomoko Tried her best to ignore that and think of a way to word her apology.

"I-I'm s-so-sorry for b-bumping into y-you. I-it was a-an acci-cident." She Tells the loox as she looks down at her shoes. Her face red with small tears in her eyes from the loox's earlier insult.

"So, you weren't trying to knock me over or something like that?" He asks her.

"N-no. I was j-just in a rush."

"she means it. she just wasn't looking were she was going is all…" Napstablook said in Tomoko's defense. Floating up beside her.

 **[You apologize to the Loox. He forgives you.]**

"Ah. So, your somebody who gets it then." The loox said as he looks to Tomoko. "I guess I can let you off the hook this one time."

He walks up to her and gives her 5 gold.

"Here. Consider it compensation for attacking you like that." He looks to the 2 monsters behind him. "You're on your own with them though." He then turns around and walks off. Leaving Tomoko and Napstablook to deal with the other monsters.

"see? he did understand…" Napstablook said to Tomoko. Who still looked rather flustered.

"Heh heh. I guess you're r-right." Replied the more awkward then usual teen.

"IN UNISON, NOW!" "Fresh morning taste."

The 2 other monsters suddenly shouted as they continued their attack. The vegetoid fired bouncing vegetables. While the migosp summoned a swarm of flies like the froggit that she fought some time ago. It caught her a bit off guard at first. But she manages to make it through the attack thanks to her dodging and Napstablook's acid tears.

'I know exactly what to do with him.' "Oh, I-I'm so h-hungry! If o-only I had s-something to eat!" Tomoko Faked. Patting her stomach dramatically. Granted, it wasn't _that_ much of an act. She was still pretty hungry after her last fight with a vegetoid. But she decided to play it up to convince the one she was fighting now.

 **[You pat your stomach. Vegetoid offers a healthy meal.]**

"Eat your greens." The vegetoid said as it fires carrots at her while the migosp goes back to unleashing cockroaches. Tomoko sticks to the middle of the battle box to avoid the roaches and steps side to side to dodge the carrots, Napstablook using his acid tears to take out some of them, until the glowing green one appeared. She reaches out and catches it as it flies by. She then eats it as vegetoid watches. Grinning in delight.

'Yea. Enjoy the sight while it lasts, pervert!' she thinks bitterly as she eats the carrot. Enjoying the healing feeling it sent through her body more than the taste.

The vegetoid, now satisfied about feeding someone. Floats up to Tomoko and gives her 4 gold before turning around and floating away to somewhere else. Meanwhile, the migosp's scowl turns into a grin. Suddenly much friendlier now that the 2 other monsters are gone.

"Swing your arms, baby!" the migosp said as he began to dance around.

 **[Migosp doesn't have a care in the world.]**

He then walked towards her with a spring in his step and 4 gold in its pincers.

"So sorry about laughing at you like that. I become the biggest jerk when I hang out with them. I gotta do something about that." He tells her as he gives her the gold.

 **[YOU WON! You got 0 EXP and 13 gold.]**

The battle box disappears and her soul returns to her body. The migosp walks past her. Looking quite happy with himself. Tomoko then pocketed all her gold. Surprised by just how much she has made.

'I'm going to be rich at this rate!' She thought as she counted her gold coins. 23 in total.

Her and Napstablook then made their way into the new room. Being careful not to crash into another monster this time. It was L shaped. Bending to the right. There were 3 white pillars spaced about it with a strange, mushroom shaped device beside each one. One blue, one yellow, one red. On the wall on her left was a stone manuscript with a chute beside it.

' _Another_ chute? Sigh… Not another falling puzzle.' Her exasperated thought was followed by an audible groan. 'Might as well read what this rooms hint is.'

She walked over to the manuscript on the wall to read its contents.

 _[The far door is not an exit. It simply marks a rotation in perspective.]_

"what is that supposed to mean?" She asks to no one in particular. Non-the less, she received a reply.

"maybe it's a clue for the puzzle?" Napstablook tried to answer.

'Well, _of course_ it's that. why else would it be here?' Tomoko turned around and looked the room over once more. She noticed that although the other doorway in the room had the grating for a spike trap, the spikes were retracted. 'Where are the spikes? Did someone solve the puzzle before me? No. All the other puzzles I did wouldn't have been active if that was the case. Unless they reset automatically or something and this one just didn't have enough time to reset yet. Maybe that means I'm so good at this that I'm solving them faster than they can all reset! But the only other person that went through here before me was Toriel and she should already know how all these puzzles work, while I was stuck in that last room for who knows how long. So maybe this one is broken or under maintenance or something? Or _maybe_ this is the first puzzle meant to _kill_ me and if I walk onto it without disarming it then it will-' "tomoko?"

She was distracted from her musing by Napstablook prodding her. Starting to get a bit worried by how long she was looking off into the distance.

"W-what is it?" She asks him.

"just wondering if you were okay is all…" He says with a hint of concern.

"yea. I'm f-fine." She tells him as she walks forward. Going to one of the devices right beside the pillars. It was when she was near them that she realized that they were actually an odd switch. Although she investigated the object, she didn't dare touch it. Afraid of triggering something undesirable. She then walked over to the other doorway. The teen stopped before the grating that held the spikes. Debating about whether to cross it or not. She carefully moved her foot over it to test it. Ready to quickly pull it back in case the spikes suddenly shot up.

"what are you doing?" Napstablook asks as he watches Tomoko's attempt to cross the grating.

"I'm t-testing it to make sure the spikes don't shoot u-up while I'm standing on it." She answered as she attempts to put her weight on it.

"you shouldn't really worry about it because they aren't built to do that. they are meant to be a deterrent. not a killing device..." Napstablook told her.

Sure enough, the spikes refused to shoot up even when she put weight on it. With a quick motion, she dashed across the grate to the other side. The spikes not showing slightest hint that they were going to shoot up.

"see? it may just be there for the puzzle is all." The specter said as he floated up beside her.

"Yea. I-I guess you're right. Heh heh." Tomoko said while blushing. Feeling rather embarrassed about doing something that probably looked ridiculous to an inhabitant of the underground.

Putting that behind her, she and Napstablook walked into the next room and was surprised by what she sees.

"…What?"

The next room was identical to the room before. The only difference was that the stone manuscript and the chute was missing. As she walked farther into the room, she started to notice more differences. On the wall to her right past the bend, there was a new stone manuscript. As well, the spike trap in front of the exiting doorway was active instead of deactivated like in the past room. She walked up to the new manuscript to red its contents.

 _[If you can read this, press the blue switch.]_

'Well, that's suspiciously straightforward.' Tomoko thought as she read the hint, or more like answer, to the puzzle.

She walks to the pillar that had the blue switch, which was the one closest to the rooms entrance and behind the bend in the room. Once she arrived at the switch, she stood over it and inspected it. Not believing the answer to be as straightforward as the manuscript made it out to be.

'There's got to be something up with this puzzle. I mean, is it even a puzzle if it straight up tells me the answer? I bet this is going to trigger something when I activate it. Probably involve dropping me into a chamber below if that chute in the other room is anything to go by. I just got to be ready to jump out of the way if something happens.' While Tomoko stood before the switch. Contemplating about whether to activate it or not. Napstablook floated up beside her.

"aren't you going to use it?" He asks.

"Oh. U-um, yea." Tomoko response before reaching for the switch carefully. Immediately after pressing it, she jumped back to avoid whatever trap it may have sprung. Instead however, she heard a clicking noise in the distance. With no sign of a trap in sight.

"…I g-guess I was w-worried over nothing." The awkward teen said after making sure there was no surprises.

"what did you thought was going to happen?" Napstablook said as Tomoko began to walk back to the exit with him beside her.

"O-oh, it's nothing! Just th-thought something was going to-" "Hay look! It's a pair of losers!" After Tomoko and Napstablook walked past the bend, a voice distracted them from their conversation.

"huh?" Tomoko looked in the direction the voice came from to see 2 looxs approaching them from the direction of the exit. Suddenly, the battle box appeared and her soul came out. Signifying a fight is about to begin.

"Sigh. Here we go again…" Tomoko said as her and Napstablook prepared for another battle.

"Holy cow does the scrawny one reeks!" One of the loox commented. Making Tomoko blush and lower her head in shame.

* * *

"Please let this day end…" Tomoko complained after walking into a room with a fork in it. Napstablook fallowing close behind. She was starving, exhausted to the point of collapse, and stinks to high heaven. To say that she was miserable would be the understatement of the century.

'Those weren't even puzzles! It was just fallowing a set of instruction! Who designed them, Toriel?'

It wasn't that the puzzles were difficult. They were actually insultingly easy. It was that they were tedious. After the first one, she had to do it again 2 more times in rooms identical to the first 2. That, and the fact that monsters that attacked them 5 or 6 six times all throughout. What little energy she had left was drained from her from those fight. She was pretty sure that if another monster attacked them right now, she would just lay down and let them have their way with her.

'At least that's all over now. So… What does This room have to offer?'

She looks around the room she was in. It was a long straight hallway with a third path branching off at a right angle to the rest of the hallway in the middle going to the left. Giving the room a T shape. Rows of green vines go across the path in front of the doorways at opposite ends of the hallway. She and Napstablook crossing over one of them without really paying attention as they entered the room. The third path going to the left had a pile of red leaves covering the floor in the middle of it. As they stopped at the junction between the 3 paths, Napstablook turned to Tomoko to say something.

"well, it looks like this is where we go our separate ways..." He tells her much to her shock.

"Wh-what!? Why? I-I thought we were t-traveling companions!" She said in disbelief. Not wanting her only means of protection to leave her.

"it was nice traveling with you while it lasted. but i really want to go home now…" He told her. Looking quite sad about his decision.

"B-but the monsters! How c-could I handle myself without you? Look at m-me. I can't fend f-for myself in this s-state!" She pleads to him in an attempt to get him to stay a bit longer.

"it's okay… we are close to the Ruin's city. they have rules against fighting within it. your friend will most likely be found there to. you'll be alright…" He tells her to reassure her.

"o-okay…" She says in defeat.

"i really need to be going now. but if it makes you feel any better, if you plan on exploring farther into the underground, we'll probably meet again someday..." Napstablook tells her as he floats off. "bye, tomoko. good luck finding your friend…"

And with that, Napstablook floated through a wall and disappeared. Leaving Tomoko alone once more. She just stood there for a while. Contemplating what she should do next. After a while of choosing which path she should go down, she gathered what little energy she has left and walked down the hall to the doorway on the opposite side. Determined to get this day over with by finding Toriel and ask her about getting a filling meal, a soft bed, and a warm bath.

*Sniff*

…Especially a bath.

* * *

 **Sorry if it was a bit lackluster for chapter that took over a year to make. Let's all pray that the next one doesn't take nearly as long.**


End file.
